FiberArts Afloat, a misnomer

A return to blogging

2011-02-08T09:34:00.004-06:00

Just thought I'd throw it out there that I intend to return to blogging about life on a boat, and fiberarts while afloat.
There has been quite a bit of knitting, some needlepoint, and little sewing going on since we launched back in May.
We've come almost 2500 nautical miles since we left our home port of Holland, Michigan on Lake Michigan.
And we've had the opportunity to meet in person many of my on-line friends that I've met through blogging, Ravelry, and Stitchers Guild.
It's been an adventure.
Currently we are in a marina in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. Later this week we'll head to Biscayne Bay, then on down to Marathon where we intend to pick up a mooring for a month or so.
When in Marathon I intend to get online and begin a new blog on TypePad. Why Typepad? Well, first and foremost I can uplink the blog post to Facebook. Because most of my online interaction has been on my Droid, and using the Facebook social networking site, I'd like a blog that directly links to FB.
And, it just seems that most folks I know who use typepad have far fewer upload problems than those we experience with Blogger. My internet connectivity is too tenuous and too precious to me to be wasting time with Blogger issues.

So....in the next 2 weeks or so look for a link to my new Fiberarts Afloat Blog.
Til then, I'll share a few pics of recent projects completed while at sea.

Caller Herrin Tam
design by Kate Davies
Yarn: Isager Strikk Highland yarn
Needles: size 2.25mm and 2.75mm
start January 2011, finished Feb 2, 2011

update and thanks

2010-05-21T09:41:00.002-05:00

First, Yesterday we launched the Boat - FINALLY!! Woo hoo...

I've updated the boat blog here

While living in limbo, I've gotten some knitting done. And some little sewing.

I got pillows and bolsters and a custom fit bedspread made for the master cabin on the boat. Using my Pfaff 130 vintage machine, that we paid Big Bucks to have professionally restored.

I'm going to give the guy who did the restoration one more chance to respond to my queries before publicly reviewing how unhappy with his services I am. I chose the most prominent nationally known "expert" in Pfaff 130's to work on this machine. I'm not impressed! I've struggled to get this machine to perform as even the most basic machine should. Struggled!

On the happier side, I want to report about the most excellent customer service of a tiny little business who makes stitch markers (for knitting and crochet).

Don't hold your breath, but I will get back with their information and the story. I'm changing computers and just realized that the pics and business info is all on the other computer.

Thats it for today.

Happy and jealous of those who had such a great time at PR weekend in Philly. I had been scheduled to attend the Hands On knitting retreat in Chicago that same weekend. The retreat got cancelled on TUESDAY! before the event was scheduled to begin on Thursday. The organizers will be refunding the registration monies - but not for another 90 -120 days. It was an unhappy situation that prompted the cancellation, but the event truly was all organized and could have gone on and happened without the organizers presence. I hope that they learned something in this process. They say they'll be organizing future events. After this though, I wonder what teachers will be willing to participate and who'll be willing to shell out money to attend, Given that they didn't have any provision for what would happen in the event of a personal tragedy?

Cheers to all my stitching friends,

Marji

Na Craga

2010-04-11T15:25:00.002-05:00

The shoulder/back/neck continue to heal, albeit more slowly than I’d like. And I’m still a bit in shock over the quickness of the move, and all that I had to pack/store/divest of.

It seems that for awhile there all I did was pack up and give away boxes and boxes of my textile treasures.

So imagine my delight when I received a package here at the lake house from a most generous Raveler last week, on Wednesday.

It contained a CD of his music, which suits my mood perfectly at the moment. And…enough yarn to knit an Alice Starmore aran sweater. The yarn is an incredible color, perfect for jeans, and perfectly dark enough to be a working sweater. I’ll post several pictures below, taken in different lights to try to capture the tones in it. It’s Jamieson’s Shetland Heather. Which is simply not available to us here in the US anymore through any distributors, although I’m under the impression that it’s still being made. It knits up into a wonderfully warm fabric – quite frankly too warm for the centrally heated homes we live in in North America (probably why it’s not sold here anymore). But it’s going to be lovely and perfect for living on a boat in northern waters.

My intention was to save it to knit next fall so that I’d have it for the Atlantic Crossing back to the US next April, and then possibly to wear while sailing up the Atlantic coast.

Intentions be damned. I couldn’t Not cast on.

So I did. ;)

And, it’s going so well that I intend to wear it in a few weeks on the boat!

I’ve wanted to make Na Craga from Starmore’s book Aran Knitting (being rereleased in Sept) since I obtained the book.

I cast on Thursday.

It’s been cold here again, the 78 degree temps disappeared. But it’s been perfectly wonderful weather to sit and knit this fabulous design with this fabulous yarn. And listen to Michael’s cognac smooth voice singing somewhat melancholy songs to beautiful accompaniment.

Thank you MJ. Thank you from the botton of my heart.

I also got on the phone and called Karabella in NYC, since I can’t find a store anywhere that carries the Aurora 8 anymore. I ordered the 3 sk I’m short to finish the nautical pullover that I was working on when we got the offer for the house. It should arrive this week before I head out again on Thursday for my next road trip. And I’ll finish that pullover and Na Craga to wear before the end of May!

One last note: I apologize for the sporadic nature of the posts here, and my absence from blogland. I should have internet connectivity again in May. Meanwhile, it’s still public library and internet cafes 20 miles away for me to have internet access.

Progress and Evaluation on the Minnow Knits dress in Luscious by Kollage

2010-04-01T14:27:00.002-05:00

I think this is going to be relegated to the “experiment but not good enough to keep” pile.

I thought I was using the smallest plate in the knitting machine, but it turns out there is one smaller. The stockinette portion of the dress is just too loose, and consequently also terribly uneven looking. I know some of that will block out, but unless it shrinks up considerably too I’m not going to keep this for bgr (baby girl Ryan).
I love the bodice. It’s a fun little dress. And I think that what I’ll do is take out some of the Manos del Uruguay cotton stria that I have from when Chris’s when out of business in St Louis, and make another one, paying closer attention to the skirt fabric. Also, I know that the cotton stria washes well. It’s the yarn I knit Joey’s chemo blanket from several years ago, and my sister attests to the washability of the fabric.

Verena

The Spring 2010 issue of Verena is at the bookstores. I just love Verena. This issue they’ve taken a page from one of Rowans latest books, and done a whole Hollywood Retro look set of designs.
The cover sweater is a cute little number that they’ve paired with a Prada-style lace skirt. Remember last year when the big question was, what to pair with the lace skirts – this is a lovely little answer.
Mardel, do you have this issue yet? I love seeing your takes on the new designs from all the knitting publications.

Comment replies;
Jen, the Bond sweater machine I have cost less than $100 on ebay. No matter how you cut it, you can’t upgrade any kind of sewing machine for less than $100.

Stash and others, Thank you for your concern. The shoulder is healing. I have x-rays that show there is no disk involvement. It was simply a very severe muscle spasm that I ignored until it got to the point I couldn’t stand it. Ice, rest, and now heat, as well as some light stretching is allowing it to heal. Soft tissue injuries always take the longest to heal.

Back to regularly scheduled programming

2010-03-30T12:55:00.001-05:00

Phase One of retiring to the boat is complete. We’ve successfully closed the sale of the house in St Louis and moved out.

Now I’m going to separate the blog content again, and keep this to the original intent, and that is to devote this space to Fiberarts.

All the lifestyle content will be available over at www.svfarniente.blogspot.com

So I may have mentioned that I injured my shoulder/back/neck while slamming in all the packing and moving. All that tension transferred down to my left arm and hand, and has seriously affected my ability to hold a needle.

What to do? Read?….yeah, well, if I were reading anything of substance that might be satisfactory. But I’ve read enough fiction in the last week that reads like Made-for-TV movies that I’m done with that for awhile. I need to create.

I may have mentioned a little over a year ago that I picked up a Bond Sweater Machine (knitting machine) on ebay. It stayed in the original packing until this week. I just never opened it.

Why? I don’t know. Anyway, I opened it several days ago and began reading the directions, and knit up a sample using the Spinnerin Wintuk acrylic yarn that came with it….gives you an idea how old this thing is!

It’s soooo easy, and honestly, it’s FUN! Unless I get into a lot of fuss and bother it only knits stockinette. That’s ok though.

Yesterday I set up the machine and knit the skirt portion of this darling little dress. Took it off the machine and transferred it to needles to hand knit the skirt border and the bodice. Set up to take off time: about 2 hours. And that’s because I had some challenges getting the first row to knit. I expect it’ll take me 6 hours or more to knit the rest of it by hand.

Pattern by Minnow Knits, Sunflower #186

Yarn – Luscious by Kollage, 63% cotton 37% nylon elastic.

former sewing room

2010-03-15T14:29:00.001-05:00

former sewing room
Originally uploaded by mlweaving

The studio space is now back to being a basement.
In fact, at this point the table has been disassembled too.

The moving truck to take the furniture into storage will be here tomorrow at 7:00 AM.
Kinda hard to believe.

And, just so you know, this has been a lot harder, packing up, than either of us anticipated. Not the packing, although that's work, but the sorting and deciding what little we can keep. Then deciding where to put it has been the next chore.
So right now I'm a bit of an emotional wreck. I know I'll get past it.

sigh, back to sorting the contents of my closet, chest of drawers and nightstand. Dh just left to go to Goodwill with the SUV full of black plastic garbage bags containing most of our personal clothing and belongings.

There are deadlines

2010-02-26T13:44:00.007-06:00

Verena Cable and Lace pullover #2 from the Premier Issue

There are deadlines.
And then, there are Deadlines.
deadlines - those artificial dates by which something must be completed, as the final dates for finishing a knit item for Ravelympics or finish sewing 11 garments for SWAP contest for Stitchers Guild. Those are "deadlines" that one must meet in order to win a prize or the right to display a medal ravatar next to ones name on a message board. But there are no real consequences to not meeting the deadline. And, those deadlines are purely voluntary anyway.

Then there are Deadlines. The date one must have a dress done to wear to a wedding. The date one must have everything packed up to be ready for the movers when they get here. The type of dates that have consequences if things don't get done beforehand.

Back before I knew for sure that we would have a Deadline for movers I signed on for SWAP (sewing with a Plan)- the 11 garment sewing challenge beginning Dec 26 2009 and ending April 30 2010. The truth is, I should have begun sewing that wardrobe that I'd planned and collected the fabrics for back last October. I needed those outfits for Graduation in December in Athens GA, and over the Christmas holidays, and in January and for our trip at the end of January. Waiting to begin that wardrobe to meet the dates of the contest was a poor decision on my part. As it is, I won't be finishing the blue/black 11 piece wardrobe this go-round. Because I have very little sewing energy or time, and I need to make some clothes more appropriate for warmer weather, and some bedding for the boat.
An alternative SWAP plan I created using all stash fabrics is a warmer weather one.

These are clothes I'll wear beginning as soon as it warms up a bit more - think end of March, and I'll still be wearing as we cross the Gulf Stream in November on our way to Tortola.
You'll notice I have a bunch of knit sweaters up there in the top right corner.
Which brings me to the knitting I've been engaged in since the lighting of the Olympic Torch.
The pattern is from the Burda knitting publication Verena. So I decided to join in the Ravelry knitting Olympics event and knit this sweater during the course of the Olympic games.
Again, an artificial deadline - but a fun way to intensely focus on one item and maybe get it finished.

ready to cast on Feb 12

day one progress, back started above the striped ribbing, provisional cast-on
Feb 17, back finished February 21 two sleeves at a time, Feb 25

back and sleeves finished. Front cast on

Sadly, I won't make the deadline there either. But I'm close enough that I Will make the deadline of having it finished to wear come Springtime.
Yarn: Karabella Aurora 8. I used 5 balls for the back, 3.5 balls each for each sleeve, and only have 4 balls left for the front and the striped neckband. I still haven't quite decided what I'm going to do about the hem. I just don't see 4" of horizontal striped ribbing at my hips, KWIM?
In any case, I'm going to run out of yarn before I've finished the front, so I need to get online and order another ball of red. There isn't a LYS in St Louis anymore that sells Karabella, so I need to order from NY.

All this knitting has cut into some of my packing and sorting time too.
I need to get off my tush this afternoon and get back downstairs to pack some more Stuff.
This week I'm looking at the books upstairs too.
I'll blog more about the packing and sorting process over at our sailing blog - SV FarNiente, Living the Dream

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T11:07:00.002-06:00

I know it looks like I've dropped off the face of the earth. Not so.
Go here to see what's up.

We have Winners of stuff

2010-01-18T07:48:00.003-06:00

Using the random number generator at Random.org - it's pretty cool if you haven't seen it -
And, sorting each entry by the time it came into my email box, by # on the item, I chose winners.

But, I gotta say, The rules were simple and the first person to get hit by the random number generator for the knit fabric got disqualified for not registering here as a follower.
So, if you want to be in on the next downsizing giveaway, go click "follow this blog" on the icon over on the left sidebar.

Without further ado:
#1 Winner of the Cookbook set is Nanci - shout out to Nanci, who is the new mother of a baby girl. Congratulations Nanci!

#2 Winner of the Welt Pocket Maker is Dana. You'll have to open that package and use it and let me know how it works. ;)

#3 Winner of the knit fabric is #10 out of 17 requests - Trena, the Slapdash Sewist. The thing I know about Trena is that fabric doesn't grow old sitting around her studio, so I'm really happy to pass this along and can't wait to see what wonderful creation Trena will come up with.

#4 Winner of the Adele Margolis book is #16 out of 23 requests - Julie of Singer and Sew. It looks like Julie has been reviewing a number of books lately, so it'll be great to see what she thinks of this OOP sewing book.

Congratulations everyone.
email me at mlweaving at yahoo dot com with your mailing address and I'll get these out tomorrow AM.

January GiveAway 1

2010-01-13T09:36:00.009-06:00

We've discovered Craigslist. And selling stuff that, who knew?, we thought might have to go out. And some good stuff too.
And, maybe you read the classifieds at Pattern Review, maybe you don't. But I just sold almost my whole collection of BWOF. I have a few issues left from 2004 and 2005, including that famous "Twist top" issue.
Something's got to go, and I decided I'd start with the BWOF mag's.

The Giveaway
And, some of what I'm going to part with will go to you, my blog-friends.
The RULES - if you don't follow them your name won't go into the RNG (random number generator) to win one of these giveaway items.

Be a follower of this blog
leave a comment on this post
Include in the comment the # which you want to be in drawing for. I don't want to pick whether to send you the cookbooks or the pocket maker - you choose - but only choose one

That's it. Easy Peasy.
#1set of "The Beautiful" cookbooks.

#2Welt pocket maker. These went through a resurgence of popularity a few years back and people were paying big bucks for them on ebay. I found a few in a drawer at Eunice Farmer Fabrics, and bought this one. Obviously, I've never used it, it's still sealed in the plastic. I'm not sure why this is necessary, but, if you want it, it can be yours.

#3
3 1/2 yds knit print from Gorgeous Fabrics

#4Adele Margolis book Fashion Sewing for Everyone
This is one of Carolyn's favorite texts. If you read Carolyn, you know that she swears by Adele Margolis. The information is good. And, it's an old book, so you get a LOT of information, and not a lot of pictures. IMO this is a good thing.

ok, comments are open. I'll close them Saturday night or Sunday morning, and do the drawing over the weekend.

Packing: Sorting and Divesting
This is so much harder than I thought it would be.
There, I've emptied out 1/2 a shelf, can I keep the others?

Sold on Craigslist - Baldwin Lamps

Drapery Workroom supplies that have been languishing in my workroom.

Going to be listed on the classifieds at Pattern Review

My CoverPro 1000 coverstitch machine

Enough yardage of the Burberry raincoating to make a trench

Some fabulous 2 sided faux fur and the coordinate faux suede

And enough of that Big eyelet and Broadcloth to go under it to make a trench or one of those full shirtdresses. The color is buttercream.

January - Week One wrap up

2010-01-09T07:41:00.008-06:00

if you click on it, it gets bigger

Exercise/Weight - I've lost the holiday weight so don't need to adjust my little tracker up there. Now I just need to continue to lose the rest of it. As far as exercise, unfortunately I haven't gotten my formal workouts in everyday, but I have been up and down stairs and lifted and hauled enough stuff to count for at least 2 workouts. See below.

Cleaning
Well, this week cleaning has taken a front seat to everything else.
Not necessarily cleaning as in scrubbing floors and toilets, although there has been that, but I've begun the process of cleaning out the sewing studio, in preparation for dismantling. I'm about half way through. All I've tackled so far is the fabric.
First pass through I've organized the fashion fabrics and picked out what I can easily (or less easily) let go of. Much of that has been boxed up to get donated. The pic up top is what I'm left with. Still way more than I can use immediately.
What I Know I won't get sewn up in the immediate future went into a trunk and a suitcase designated to go to my mom's house in South Carolina for storage that I can access.
This is what is left on the shelves. (The side unit is empty and ready to remove or accept boxes, whatever I decide to do with it in the next week.)
That big thing sticking out in front on the bottom shelf is quilt batting, also designated to get donated. All the stuff up top is home dec fabric and I have (had) high hopes of getting some Amy Butler bags made. It's all expendable in the scheme of things.

This one shelf holds all the fabric that I think I can get made up in the near future. On the right are my Blue/Black swap fabrics,
on the left are the fabrics for an alternative Swap - my 'Oh Say Can You See SWAP
Get it? All red white and blue - mostly cottons.
I even made up a plan.

And lastly, this stack on the left are my "Hope to get to" fabrics. They would be great for lake wear this summer too. All I need is time.

We have two showings today on the house, so I'll not get to showing pics of sewing from this week until tomorrow, or maybe even Monday. But, I have two skirts and the white pants to show. Yippee!

Can I just make a recommendation if you're newer to sewing? Don't deliberately build a stash. Don't set out to store fabrics. A bit of a stash will grow organically just by virtue of the fact that you won't get everything done you plan to, but don't deliberately set out to build a stash. I see posts all the time on Pattern Review with people asking what to buy to build a stash. This is overwhelming to me. And, I think it's become oppressive and weight on my mind, stifling a bit of creativity. Because I have so much to get done, I choose what I can get done quickly rather than what might take a long time but be fabulous. Or I start something and when I see how it's turning out, the creative part is done and so I move on to something else, creating a prodigious amount of UFO's (which is another problem altogether).
Yet, I love some of it so much, it hurts to let it go and even in a way to store it. I've catalogued what I've put into the trunk, and next week I'll total the yardage and see what I've got, but I just know it's ridiculous.

Knitting

need thumbs

P.S. I do have to go do a quick blitz through the house prior to this mornings showings, but next week look for the start of some give-aways.
As everyone else is doing, to be eligible you must be a follower and comment on the post with the giveaway. In the works are notions, books, and some fun gadgets. Oh, and probably a bit of yarn.

January, week 1

2010-01-05T13:04:00.006-06:00

Yesterdays project

more below

Exercise +check. Actually, I'm feeling pretty good about where I am right now. I got on the scale this AM (before going to the gym) and found that I'm only up 3 lbs from November 1st. That's not too bad considering all the holiday travel and eating out we did. And the fact that my workout program went to hell in a handbasket.

Cleaning - yeah, well. Funniest comment I got after the last post was from Rose, who asked if I plan to continue the hour a day cleaning after the house is sold. ... I wrote back Are you Kidding?

Sewing
First project on my worktable this year is a pair of pants to wear with the Elizabeth I sweater that I finally finished last month. I got these pants cut out before we went north the day after Christmas, but didn't get to sewing them up.
Last year I was gifted a gorgeous piece of Georgio Armani wool twill. Don't you just love those selvages with the woven in information? Wouldn't it be nice to find a way to use it in the garment?

I'm using a pant pattern I've made up 3 times already, albeit in a smaller size (Yay!). Vogue 1059, an Alice and Olivia pant.
Yesterday I started by putting in the pockets using the Kenneth King grosgrain ribbon method. (see pic up top for the basic elements of the pocket). He demonstrated this method at the sit and sew in NYC in November, and it's also very well illustrated with step by step directions in his book Cool Couture. It was just as easy as he made it look, and they do turn out picture perfect.

notice that the pocket bag has a stay that goes all the way to the waistband. That helps a lot to keep the back pocket from drooping.

Then I opened the zipper package to put in the zipper. Notice the staple smack dab in the middle of the invisible zipper teeth? Sigh. I was without a car yesterday and didn't have means to go to a store to get a different zipper. You just know that if I use that zipper it'll fail right where the staple has been.
I expect to finish these pants this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow AM.
I know, it's not a SWAP garment. But in keeping with my finishing policy, I wanted these off the worktable and finished Before I cut out my first SWAP garment.
I said dress for this week - but you know, it's pretty darn cold out. I'm thinking I might just start with a pant. We'll see what I feel like cutting after I finish with the white.

Knitting

On track there too. I cast on mitten #2 Sunday. It has a lined cuff, so the first 23 rows are just the plain white knit in stockinette. Last night I finished the cuff patterning and turned that white section down and knit it into the inside of the cuff. I'm actually 1/2 way up the first rose repeat. I might just yet get to wearing these next week.

So, this Is the first week in January. How are you doing on those resolutions you've made?

2010, Moving Forward

2010-01-03T13:05:00.010-06:00

2010 promises to be a year of great changes for us.
I've read bloggers who're making resolutions, and bloggers who aren't.
Because this year promises so much change, all I can do is take it month by month. For January I'm implementing my "1 hour" plan.

Every day

Exercise 1 hour. In 2009 I embarked on a program with a personal trainer and lost 25 lbs. Unfortunately since November I've gained back a few of those, so I'm resolved to getting back to the workout program with an hour a day. Included will be a similar weight work program to that I was following with the trainer. When I had my bone density scan last Spring I was told my bones "look like sponges". Not good. I was told that I could improve the outlook by taking calcium and doing weight work. I'm determined that my bone density scan will look better this year than it did last.
Spend 1 hour cleaning a day The house is on the market now. I've put in countless hours cleaning out and scrubbing, getting it ready to put on the market. Now I've got to maintain that level of clean, as well as continue to declutter and clean out. If I devote just an hour a day I ought to at least be able to maintain the clean.
Knit 1 hour. As noted in the last blog post, I've finished up a lot of the UFO pile. I'd like to continue finishing up what is on the needles, as I have a lot that I'd like to start. My goal here is to work it down to only 3 or 4 projects on the needles at once. I need one complex item that I can only work on when I can devote full attention to it. I need one item that is portable (mittens etc), and one item that is completely mindless that I can knit on in social situations. I'm pretty close to that right now.
Sew 1 hour. LOL, I can see anyone who's reading this shaking their head saying "right, just one hour to knit and/or sew!" Well, these are my goals and these are my minimums. Because I know that I can at least accomplish more than I did last year if I put in an hour every day. And this month I'm ready to start SWAP. more about that later.
limit computer browsing to 1 hour a day - 'nuff said. oh, and I'm deleting the solitaire games from my computer. What a useless time sink that I fell into last fall. I want to keep up with my blogging and to keep up with your blogs. But I don't need to play endless games of Spider or Freecell and I don't need to lose entire mornings on the computer.

I've cut my work schedule back, so this ought to be doable. After my requisite hours I'm allowing myself to work on whatever I want.
Already this AM I put in my hour on knitting and got the Apres Surf hoodie to the point where I bound off the hood. After giving it some thought, I'm going to set this aside again in favor of finishing up

the Rhiivilla mittens I've got on the needles, and working on

the Norwegian sweater that I cast on for Christmas eve. I want the hoodie to wear in the Spring. I want the mitten to wear next week! If I put all my 1 hour blocks into the mittens then I ought to be able to wear them next week!
___________
Sewing
Ah, the state of my sewing room is appalling. The state of my sewing projects, both in process and abandoned is appalling. I hope to devote more attention to the sewing than any other activity this month.
I've joined SWAP (Sewing With A Plan) on Stitchers Guild again. 17 weeks, 11 garments. I have more to sew than just the swap plan, but in order to keep on track, I'm going to set a goal of one SWAP Item a week.

I think I'll begin with a dress.

2009, It's a Wrap

2010-01-01T21:12:00.005-06:00

Looking Back

The years projects in review, many of which I never blogged about.
notable are a few projects:
In January I draped a design for my friend to wear as Mother of the Bride and then made the suit from a black/silver/grey silk dupioni.

In the spring I made slipcovers for the cabin settee for the boat - 13 in all. I blogged about it here.

Over the summer I made the veil and beaded the edges for my son's bride. . I also did the alterations for the bridesmaids and bridal dresses. Doesn't feel like much of an accomplishment, but it needed doing.

Just last month I made the comforter and pillow shams for our master bedroom. I chose a home dec fabric, seamed it to the correct size and sent it out to a commercial quilter to outline quilt the pattern. Then I got it back and put a lip cord around the perimeter and then hemmed the spread, and made euro-shams.

I got some clothes made for my sister - I can think of 2 pair of pants, 2 skirts, and a dress. I also made a twirl top and pant set for my neice. And I made a bare minimum of clothes for myself.

I did better accomplishment-wise in the needlework dept. I finished my daughter-in-laws needlepoint stocking,

and lately I've been finishing up the knitting UFO's. In December I managed to finish up 6 sweaters. I have pictures of 5 of them. I need to get pics of the black cardi.

1. St Enda complete Dec 2009 (2), 2. colchique irlandais (1), 3. 2009-12-20 17.49.03, 4. Dec 2009 092, 5. Dickinson Dec 2009, 6. Progress on Drops cardi

Coming up: Moving forward in 2010, the goals and the plans. Top of which is finishing the jacket started at the Sit and Sew in NYC in November and SWAP

A Knitting Interlude

2009-11-28T12:57:00.003-06:00

Pattern: St Enda by Alice Starmore
Yarn: Lion Brand Fishermans Wool

I have one seam left to sew on this baby.
Two days ago it still looked like this

It's for my daughter-in-law Megan, for Christmas.
Mark and Megan were here for Thanksgiving, and I got it out and checked the size on Megan before starting to stitch it together. Hard won experience has taught me that getting it right beats out the surprise factor every time.
The size is good - perfect actually - so I stitched together the sleeve saddles and armscyes and then knit the neckband on. To make the neckline lie flat and come closer to her neck - as I know the neckband has been a complaint/issue with these patterns, I knit the first two cable rib repeats with a size 6 needle, the next one with a size 4, and the last with a size 3. It looks great and I know it'll block out flat.
So, I have one seam left to sew, which I will do after dark tonight. Hence the daylight pics with that last side seam left open.

Hope all my American friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Now, while the football is on and dh is happily esconsed in front of the television, I'm heading down to the sewing room. I know Carolyn is sewing this weekend - anyone else?

Sewing Bag and travel supplies

2009-11-24T08:04:00.008-06:00

CarlaF commented
Looks like fun! One question, in the pictures, are you using a scrapbook bag to store your notions?

No, The bag I use is one specifically made for sewing gear and was made for BabyLock. About 6 years ago I took some training from Tacony on Babylock machines because at the time I was working and teaching in a store that sold BabyLock machines. The gift from Tacony to all who were taking the training was this bag. Amazingly, it's taken me until this trip to take the bag out of the packaging and fill it up. I really like having everything contained in one bag. The pics I took and put on flickr were really bad but I did that because I was putting it in checked luggage and I wanted a record of sorts of what was in it.
This is what the organizer looks like opened up. There is a back zip pocket that is perfect for full size patterns and a front pocket that will handle wider things. There is also a carry strap that I haven't hooked on - I have enough to carry over my shoulder without adding this heavy bag.

The closest I've been able to find on the net is this bag by Bluefig Notions

MeredithP wrote
So as you discuss your project, what kind of sewing gear did you have to take?
As you can see above, all the regular sewing tools.
I carried 4 pair of sheers. No rotary cutter, there aren't any mats nor room to use them.
It is not necessary to carry a machine, there are machines in the classroom. But, as I had visions of sewing in the room in the evenings and wanted a machine I knew, I did carry my Singer Featherweight. It fit in my regular carryon luggage. Heavy though.

My list to go looked like this:

Notions bag packed with everything from marking tools to thread, needles, pins, measuring tools etc.
muslin
sheets of wax tracing paper
pattern
fashion fabric, underlining fabric, interfacing, lining, fur

I'd planned to buy a separating zipper for my project while in NYC.
You are expected to have your initial muslin done before getting to class, and are emailed directions on how to construct it. I carried muslin with me and tracing paper as I didn't make my muslin until I was at Cidell's.
I also had grand visions of getting a lot else done, so I carried WAY too much.

Like the houndstooth jacket to fit - (never opened the bag except to show the project to Mardel, Robin and Carolyn.)
And the red silk dress that needs finishing that Susan was going to hand place the draped chiffon hipswags for me - never got opened.
and the brown wool yardage and pattern that I thought I'd make a skirt from to go with my class project jacket - in that nighttime that I wasn't sleeping (ha!)
And the purple skirt which needs the lining inserted and hemming, and the purple pants which need hemming, and...you get the idea.

See the list of expectations on the previous post - Don't expect to go home with a finished project, there just isn't time. So why I thought there would be time for all these other things too, I'm baffled.

You can get by with the notions you need to sew and the fabric and supplies you need for your project.
*********************
aurelia.donka said...

ACK! I just saw a pic of you and Robin at Mood where you are holding a piece of red and white striped fabric I've been looking for. Would you mind e-mailing back the fabric info so I can call Mood and have some shipped out?

Aurelia, if you change your profile settings on blogger it'll give a reply address when you write a comment rather than "no-reply blogger" on the id info. The way it is, your profile is hidden so it's impossible to find if you have a blog, and there is no email information. (Your address won't show to anyone except the blogger where you left the comment, and then only if they get comments by email.)

That stripe you inquired about is a rayon jersey and is really a deep deep cranberry, not red.

More Sit and Sew And Travel

2009-11-23T13:28:00.005-06:00

Thoughts on travel from a Midwestern girl who drives everywhere:

First, let me say I have a whole new appreciation for those of you who are rely on public transport to get where you’re going. It takes a lot of patience to maneuver the rails and buses. But don’t ever think that Americans aren’t helpful or that they are nasty to tourists. I had help everywhere I went from strangers as I tried to manage my luggage on and off public transport. Including a man who offered to tote my large suitcase up the stairs at Penn Station in NYC when an elevator simply couldn’t be found. LOL, half way up he stopped and said out loud “why am I doing this”. That bag was heavy.

I’m flying Southwest – where “bags fly free”. That is, if they weigh less than 50 lbs. If they weigh more than 50 lbs they cost $50 bucks. That poor man lugged my heaviest bag which weighed in at 67 lbs up one LONG flight of stairs.

So, I’m now at the airport waiting on my plane to return to my real life. It’s been fun and I’m So glad I did this.

If you haven’t seen the pictures from the girls night out at dinner in NYC on everyone else’s blogs, the whole group can be found at my flickr page.

Sit and Sew and my project

What to expect when you sign up for a 4 day Sit and Sew in NYC with KK and SK:

a lot of expert help.
a garment that will fit you when you finish it
to employ methods of construction that you are unfamiliar with, and some that take a long time. Expect to underline whatever you’re making, whether it’s a skirt, a pair of pants, a dress or a coat.
a constructive positive learning experience. No one is berated, no one is made to feel stupid (as I’ve seen in some other class situations), everyone is allowed to work at their own pace.
expect to leave class with a project that needs finishing. Don’t expect to walk into class with a complex project and be able to complete it in 4 days.
Exceedingly crowded work conditions
A stimulating environment that is really motivating and will leave you wanting to go home and sew...and sew and sew

Kenneth King is marvelous!
day 1 he demostrated a bound buttonhole made with the piping method
day 2 bound buttonhole using his grosgrain ribbon method

He also wears the most intriguing clothes. He's the "20 bucks" man. He kept showing off these intricate incredible clothes that he finds at thrift shops - and it seems that his price point for everything is $20.

We all know that I love Susan. She demonstrated how to put in couture linings, and held several other tutorials including a handpicked zipper and other hand stitches.
We had the privilege of meeting both her kids this time around too. They both flew in to the classroom late Friday before heading out for a family evening at the opera.

fitting session

tight work space

When I get home I'll start documenting the process from conception to completion of my project.
Remember this?

After leaving the Sit and Sew yesterday afternoon I made my first excursion ever to the Port Authority (what a place!) to catch the bus out to Carolyn's. The directions were absolutely perfect, including which escalators to take to get to the right gate.
Carolyn and I had a relaxing evening chatting about - what else? - Fabric. LOL, and can we talk fabric! I got to wallow in her fabric closet. It's all it's cracked up to be...
And the jury is out on who has more - or less - right now I think we're in a competition to say "you have more than me". Whatever, if they quit weaving fabric right this minute neither one of us would be in danger of having nothing to sew for a long time to come.
Carolyn, a big public Thank you! It was fun and relaxing and we'll do it again sometime.
oh, and Carolyn is on a campaign to catch me up on having "followers". LOL, I was exceedingly late to convert the old blogger format to the new one, which allowed all those fun things on the sidebars including follower box which adds people to your blog reader. It's really pretty convenient I will say, and I wonder why it took me so long. So Carolyn, since you posted for people to add me to their list of blogs they follow I've gained more than 30 followers! wee...
Hugs, M

Dinner in the City!

2009-11-20T22:06:00.004-06:00

So, getting on with news on this fantastic trip...tonight several sewists who regularly blog or post on Stitchers Guild or Pattern Review got together for dinner. Can you imagine that we found enough to talk about for 3 hours that it seemed like 15 minutes? It was a great time.

At dinner, from left Carolyn, Robin, me, Mardel, Claudine, LindsayT, and NancyK

Click on their name for links to each blogger.

It's late and I'm really tired, and I've got class again all day tomorrow, so I'm just going to leave you with this teaser pic and tell you that more pics will be coming and that you can probably read more from each of these amazing women.

Go see Mardels blog to see what she's doing in class. She's going to be writing about the muslin process she's going through. I can tell you, it's been really interesting to watch.
Don't know if Robin will be blogging tonight at all about the coat process.
Meanwhile, I've finally gotten my jacket cut out and have started the underlay process.
I hope to get to posting about the process tomorrow.

Thanks for all your thoughts and input on friendships that you've developed on the net.

It's all about the muslin

2009-11-19T21:11:00.008-06:00

too late at night, working on the next muslin

Ok, there are a myriad of posts to be written about this fabulous trip.
Tonight, ... it's been a day and a half, and all I'm going to do is post some pics about fitting the muslins.
First, working on the pant pattern for Cidell.
After 3 muslins and a few alterations, I'm thinking we have a pant pattern that will work so that MissCelie can make pants, which BTW, she IS tall enough to wear!!! Hear that MissCelie? I mean, how on God's Green Earth are we to deal with a MissCelie's Pants when all MissCelie wears are dresses?
And, speaking of wearing dresses, isn't this chic?

Date: Wed November 18
Robin of "A Little Sewing" picked me up at Cidells' and then we made the 11:44 AM train to NYC. Not without a little drama - guess who left Cidells house with the cell phone locked inside? hmmm? Yeah, well, moving on.
We had a wonderful time chatting a mile a minute. As we were about to get off the train at Penn Station the man ahead of us turned around and said "It isn't any of my business, but are you going to a knitting contest?" We both laughed. "nope, but we are going to a sewing seminar"
So, go ahead, and look over at Robins blog to see what we did as soon as we left Penn Station. Pictures notwithstanding, I'm not the only one leaving Mood with a stack of fabric.

Then Mardel got in.
dinner (or is that drinks?): I think Mardel is my twin of a different mother and it took until recently for us to find each other. We are having such a wonderful time.

Date Thurs Nov 19
More on muslins, this time it's fitting in class
Kenneth King pinning the sleeve onto my jacket muslin
look at his jacket - isn't it just fabulous?
Kenneth King fitting the muslin on Robin while Mardel looks on.

The class is Sit and Sew given by Kenneth King and Susan Khalje. Both are excellent teachers, both are talented at garment construction, and both are contributing editors to Threads Magazine. Both are also personable, and a lot of fun. We'll be blogging about this over the next few days, but I can already tell you, if you can swing it, it's worth it!

interlude at lunch time - the requisite picture with Kashi -(and see who's there to show me arou d Kashi's?

Me, Kashi, Carolyn (diary of a sewing fanatic)

Don't even ask, 'cause I'm not saying. Except that I will let you know that Kashi has some of those incredible Japanese cotton engineered prints left....

And, to cap off an excellent day, an excellent dinner with great friends.

So I leave you with this thought.
This is an amazing age, the age of internet. I've met face to face several friends this trip. And I use the word "friends" deliberately. These are women I've "known" through their blogs and through various message boards - principally Stitchers Guild and Pattern Review, and then private emails and eventually telephone conversations.
These are friends who're as important to me as many people I've known IRL all my life.
These are women who share my passion - sewing and fiber arts - but more than that, they share various life experiences that are common to us all. And we have become friends. Who would have thought that through the medium of the written word on a public medium that one could form lasting and important relationships?
These women are my sisters and friends. I'm grateful for their friendship. We've come a long way baby.

You're reading this blog, therefore, you're connected online. Have you formed friendships that you feel are important to you through this online medium?

It's been a FUN day!

2009-11-16T21:17:00.003-06:00

Can I tell you how much fun we're having?
And what a delightful person Cidell is?
So, about today:
First, We had breakfast. I'd have gotten pictures but I was too busy eating.
Then we had a measuring session

Then Cidell left to go to work for the AM. I found out that I hadn't underlined all of the houndstooth, and not only that but I failed to bring the rest of the batiste with which I was underlining the jacket. Oops.
So I started my muslin for the brown jacket. And I got to use Cidells PINK rotary cutter - woohoo.
not only that, but I spent more than a little time looking through the Bunka books and the Pattern Magic books she has. Great Stuff!

Then Cidell came and picked me up and we proceeded to go to A Fabric Place, aka Michaels retail store.
Michael is wonderful in person. I introduced myself and he immediately knew me from being an internet customer. Renee turned to me in surprise and exclaimed "you buy enough here that he KNOWS you?!?" LOL, um... I plead the fifth, but in my defense, Michael immediately piped up with the fact that they know all their customers.
I found the underlayment that I needed for the jacket as well as some lovely lavender cotton shirting to go with the purple passion project items. In addition, that RPL that Sherry sent out the email about last week - great stuff.
We also caught up with a friend, Leslie, and went to have snacks.
Then we returned here to make a bit of progress on a pant pattern for Cidell. Because time was getting short, we decided to go immediately to altering a commercial pattern.

Time for dinner. Three of us went out to a wonderful restaurant - Woodberry Kitchen - and the came back and realized we hadn't done the requisite picture session. This is what you get after some good food and wine.

Click here for more pics. Tomorrow it's time to stitch together muslins and to make use of the Bunka books for the bodice draft.
See Cidells blog for more ...

Today, it's Baltimore

2009-11-16T09:24:00.004-06:00

I'm coming to you today from Cidell's.
We're working on fitting a pant pattern for her and some general other stuff.

AND I'm about to start on my muslin for the Sit and Sew in NYC given by Susan Khalje and Kenneth King that I'll be joining along with Mardel and Robin.

At the sit and Sew I plan to get help re-fitting this jacket.
I began this project too long ago to recount and got distracted for reasons I can't quite remember. Anyway, I fit the muslin to myself, cut it apart and used the muslin as pattern and cut the houndstooth. Then I mounted the houndstooth onto the underlining - and that's as far as I got. Now I've lost 25 lbs, and have been exercising to the point that Anything fit to me as far back as 2006 will no longer work. I really want this to work. So, today I'm basting it together in the hopes that Susan and Kenneth will have some fitting magic that will let me finish this jacket. I'd like to wear it to Katies graduation next month.
After getting it fit I'll take the project home and finish making it there.

Because I have a project in mind for this class. And I lugged all the materials with me. And I've had conversation with Kenneth King and he's going to help me to sew with the fur. I've never sewn with fur before.
The project proposal:

So, look for a post later tonight on Cidell's and my Adventures of this coming afternoon.
Cidell has graciously agreed to document the whole pattern drafting and fitting process. It'll be fun!

On the Road....and Sew Baby!

2009-11-14T09:17:00.000-06:00

After packing, before getting on the plane on Thurs.
Pattern: Vogue 1035 - Alice and Olivia. Love the draft. This is the second time I've made this pattern, however these were cut back in the Spring, and I needed to recut and take in and take in, which distorted the line a bit. I finished these last week amid my sewing frenzy.
Fabric: A silk herringbone from Fabric Mart that wrinkles like the devil. These did not travel well. Heck, look at them just after packing, they did not fare well in the wearing just to pack.

*********************

Coming to you from Atlanta GA this AM. Unfortunately, due to technical problems, the pictures I wanted to upload will have to wait til this evening, Please check back. Good stuff in store.
For this week, I'll be playing "Where's Waldo" as I plane and train hop. As I said in an earlier post - time to meet some more of those sewing bloggers....

And, on to regular programming:

I bring you an interlude:
Sophie of the big brown eyes, my favorite big girl niece, this is for you.

insert garment pics

Pattern: SewBaby Twirl Top and Pant
Made as a class sample for a class I"ll be teaching at The Quilted Fox in February.
The pattern is simple and goes together beautifully.

What I love about this pattern: It's printed on tissue paper and is multi-size, yet each size is printed individually. No complicated deciphering of which line to cut, no tracing in order to preserve the next size in the envelope. This, IMO, is especially valuable in a pattern designed for a toddler where you are likely to want to use a pattern multiple times and sew more than one size.

Fabric: A selection of quilting cottons. This outfit calls for 1 yd of the primary fabric and then 1/3 yd of 4 coordinating fabrics.

Follow up to Knitting from Japanese patterns

2009-11-09T21:48:00.004-06:00

First, the excuses: it was dark when I was finally ready last night for a pic or two. Dark this AM when dh left for work, Dark when I got home from work.
Pics will come, someday, I promise.

Meanwhile:

LisetteM asked:

I have a couple of questions about the Japanese knitting patterns. First are the sizes small? I recently read an article about a Japanese RTW line of clothing which only goes up to a size 6.

All you have to do is look at the schematics to determine the size. I tried on a bunch of the designs at the trunk show at Kirkwood knittery, and I have to say that the only thing that was consistently small were the sleeves. The diameter of the arms were really small. At least the patterns designed for the Habu yarns tend to be really goemetric and square, so they're sort of "one size....". Which means, If I felt they fit me, then they would be huge for the majority of the Asian population of women. I'm not exactly a small woman.
I do find that many of the Japanese patterns are written in one size only.

Second, are the Japanese knitting patterns different enough from the more easily available and easy to comprehend american and european patterns that gets you excited to go through the extra trouble?

Some are, some aren't. I have the books I got because I wanted the pattern for Am Kamin, and for the oak leaf pullover. To my knowledge there is nothing like either one of these patterns written in English.
And regards reading Japanese patterns, Kim, (knitinbrit) offered up these links:
Here's the book - Clear and Simple knitting Symbols

Very helpful!

I have found a lot of great info online. Have you checked this link out too?
How to Read Japanese Knitting Charts

BTW, if you haven't read Kims' letter to Dear Santa aka Cute Guy, then you should - it's hysterical.

And my own Cute Guy - probably has H1N1
Guess who's sleeping in the guest room tonight? - no silly, not him. ... I won't put him out but oth, I don't really want the flu at this point.

****************
Just a thought, Have you met, IRL, any of the bloggers that you regularly read or correspond with?

I've met Kim. Time for us to get together again actually.
And I've met several other knit bloggers, including Jae, Lorraine (no longer blogging), Elizabeth, and I don't exactly remember how many others. A few, certainly. Oh, I've actually met the infamous Franklin, of Panopticon fame. Jae even came to stay with me on the boat this summer.

But, I think I can say without exaggeration, ~~I've never met another sewing blogger. I talk regularly on the phone with several, but I've never met, in person, any of them.~~
I'm an idiot - I've met Summerset. Totally slipped my mind when I wrote that - but we got to meet in a fabric store! and then had a lovely lunch. She was on her way to Paducah to show one of her art-garments. Summerset, I apologize for my memory slip. It was wonderful.

Time to change this, time to meet more sewing bloggers?

sample sample sample

2009-11-08T08:18:00.006-06:00

Moving on to the next items in the purple passion project, this morning I'm deciding on treatments for the front of yet another skirt.

I know, all are pics of the same sample. Trying to get good pics. Sometimes it really helps me to see it in pictures to see what's working or not.

I used the patch method of making a bound buttonhole. This fabric is lightweight and the patch method is good for light-med weight projects.
But I'm thinking that
a. the lips are too wide. This whole buttonhole was marked on 1/4" wide overall, and is only 7 stitches wide. (Yes, I count stitches on my buttonholes - it's 21 st long by 7 st wide). Next one I'll make 6 st wide. I'm using a 1.5mm st length.
and
b. that I like the contrast piping for the front edge of the skirt, but I don't like the contrast for the buttonhole. It's just too much!

What do you think?

see how the stitching line is one stitch above the marking? Next one will be one stitch below the marking.

Hopefully later this afternoon I'll nab the hubby and we'll do a photo shoot of the finished garments. Productivity reigns here at Fiberarts Afloat.

Reading Japanese Patterns and

2009-11-06T20:49:00.005-06:00

What a great little bit of knowledge!
It's amazing though, that this information isn't more readily available to Americans and that we need to take a class to find out something so logical and easy.

Yesterday I mentioned that I was taking a class in reading Japanese knitting patterns given by Takako from Habu yarns.
It was interesting! And she is delightful.
It's also so logical and easy to read the basic schematic armed with just a little bit of information. Takako explained that they (the Japanese) had to come up with a way to write patterns because they don't have the ability to abbreviate their written language the way we do. We can read K1P1 Dec 1 st eor and know what it means. They can't. So they came up with a way to abbreviate the directions on a schematic, in a box, and then they use a chart that can be easily generated on any excel spreadsheet, or for that matter written in any sheet of looseleaf or a spiral binder. Easy Peasy.

The following schematic is from one of the books that I own, not the schematic we worked with in class, and not a schematic designed for Habu yarns.

See the directional arrows? (I've drawn a red box around them, in the center of the page). Those are the direction that you knit. Which is interesting. They have you start then with either a provisional cast on and then later knit your ribbing on, or else do a regular cast on and pick up stitches to knit your ribbing. She did explain that they don't hand hold - no directions for which cast on, no directions for which method of decrease. Basically their patterns are written expecting you to know how to knit, and how to choose the correct techniques.

See the box with those 3 rows of numbers? Again, I've drawn a red box around it in the upper corner of the schematices. That tells you your frequency of decreasing, or increasing, for shaping.
Starting reading from the bottom of that box, it reads on row 2 (of this section) decrease 3 st, one time). It's abbreviated 2-3-1

But, of course she is with Habu. Habu has incredibly interesting yarns, but they don't do anything that even remotely resembles texture work. So, what information I still lack is a key to reading those charts for cables and textures. Kim, I'm going to take you up on your offer of a key.

Now, I'm certain there is just as easy a key to understanding the schematics in books such as
Pattern Magic
And, have you seen the books Cidell just got? Ohhhh my, I'm covetous.

The Purple Passion Collection

2009-11-06T09:17:00.005-06:00

Note that Finally I have moved over to the updated template from blogger. Which means I lost all my sidebar etc. I'll fix it all in the next week, and it'll be so much easier since I won't have to do it all in the html that I did before. Thanks for your patience.

Even before SWAP (sewing with a plan - designed to coordinate the items in your closet so that you actually sew clothes that go together), I tended to buy fabrics for collections.
I cannot tell you how long some of this has been in the collection, nor how long two of these pieces have been in "production". What I can tell you is that I'm thrilled to be finally sewing it all up and wearing it this fall. (note, all photos pertaining to this collection can be seen on my flickr page here)

Pattern is Vogue 7769 - so OOP that it isn't even in the OOP part of the online catalogue.
Fabric is a Loro Piana felted wool that has a variegated orange yarn couched onto the wool. At first glance looking at the wool it is not evident that the design is actually an ascending diagonal line.

I spent two days that dh was out of town with the piece laid out flat on the living room floor getting the layout correct so that the pattern would match as well as possible across seam lines.

I am VERY pleased with the match.

Other fabrics in the collection are
-a burnt orange microsuede - see skirt hanging behind the dress form.
-a wool herringbone tweed for pants and a skirt
-a poly woven swirl fabric recently purchased from EOS for a dress (see below)

not pictured yet, still in flat fabric stage)
-a solid wool menswear flannel in purple heather for a skirt
-a hammered silk for blouse in softer purple
-a rayon jersey for a CJ wrap top in royal violet

The pant, under construction
Below: the line drawing for the planned dress and the swatch to make it. On the agenda today, get the pants lined and to the point of hand sewing, and muslin the dress.

To go with all of this I'm finally (FINALLY!) finishing the Irlandais Colchique sweater that I began in *ahem* 2005.

This is the stage it was left in January 2006.
As you can see I've finished the knitting and have begun sewing it together. I've also got the button band knit (finished it last night). Just need to knit the collar now and need to finish sewing it together this weekend. This is what it'll look like when it's done

Yarn: Inca Alpaca from Classic Elite
*******************
More Knitting news
Later this afternoon I'm scheduled to take a class at Kirkwood Knittery on reading Japanese Knitting Patterns. The class is being taught by Takako from Habu. I'm excited.
oh, and it's so late this afternoon that dh has decided to get a cab back from the airport - he's returning from yet another week overseas. I won't be able to pick him up at 5:30 because I'll be knitting! How's that for an understanding hubby?

The Incident with the Plaid

2009-11-02T19:59:00.001-06:00

What Not to Do

KwikSew 3850

Much of the sewing that I'm doing at this moment is driven not by what I would love to make, but by obligation. I'm teaching several classes at SewItSeams in St Louis, and class samples are a must. So, awhile ago Cindy asked me to teach a class on matching plaids. She's been bringing in plaids, however has been hearing comments that people are reluctant to buy them because they don't feel confident matching plaids.
ok. This of course means that I can't use an old piece from stash. It's imperative to use fabrics available at the store.
The plaid pictured here is not my typical color palette, but it's the best of what she had in stock when I needed to pick out fabric. Oh, and I have to use patterns available to her - which means Kwik Sew or one of the independents.

So I chose Kwik Sew 3850 - Pattern pic up top. Cute skirt. Pencil skirt shape - which means it's not a straight skirt but narrows at the hem. That's ok, it'll illustrate what happens to your plaid.

The night I bought the fabric, the bolt had just come in. Thursday. Evening. I got the first 1 1/2 yd of 60" wide Pendleton wool plaid from this bolt.
At the cutting table on Sunday afternoon I got a wild hair, and decided that the skirt with the pocket and pleat front was much more interesting. I'd purchased fabric intending to make view B, no pleat, no pocket. So I traced and laid out version A.

As you can see, I simply couldn't make the pocket fit. No problem I mused. I'll just pick up another 1/4 to 1/2 yd, depending on where the plaid fell, on Tuesday when I was there for my next class.
Honestly, as I picked up scissors to cut, the thought occurred to me that I should wait. I had plenty of yardage to cut view B and match everything. But, surely, since I just took home the fabric on Thursday evening, the bolt would still be in the store. Surely.

Um, nope. I called Monday to put a hold on 1/2 yd. And was told the fabric was gone already.
See that area in the above pic where I laid the pocket. I had cut up that area for facings. So there wasn't even the possibility of piecing the top of the pocket.
I considered using a contrast for the side front. But really, aside from the fact that it would look dopey - what kind of teacher holds a class on matching plaids then wimps out with a contrast solid in the area where the match is most challenging? This skirt languished and hung up my mental ability to sew again. Stupid stupid mistake.
Then, last weekend, a store employee - Dawn - to the rescue. She'd purchased a large piece, and had already changed her mind about what to do with it, so she allowed me to cut my pocket from her yardage. I paid her for 1/2 a yard, since I had to cut a rather large rectangle from way off the edge of her goods.

Honestly! Costly mistake. I get a good discount for yardage I use for class samples. I paid Dawn the regular price of the fabric. Ouch - for a pocket side front. But, I limited her possibilities because of my dumb mistake.

Construction pictures on The skirt: Pictures taken after dark as the camera battery died taking other pics during daylight hours. oops (yet again, an oops)

Pocket and pleat installed. You can see that the plaid doesn't match at the side seam. It's important to choose which match is more important when it's evident that only a portion will match. I'm very pleased though with the match vertically and horizontally across the pocket side front. The lower skirt front is slightly wider than the pocket side front, so I worked from the center, where the pleat is stitched down and therefore closer to the pocket. The lower skirt sticks out further away from the body more toward the side seam.
Skirt back. There is a kick pleat at the hem, so right now it's just basted below the black line I drew on the CB seam.

Side seam. Because I centered the plaid motif on this unbalanced plaid at CF and CB, the squares along the side seam fall where they will. It's a good example though for the class.

So now this skirt too is to the point of needing lining and belt carriers.
I thought I had plenty of Ambiance still in stash in light colors. Not so.
So while I was still in the stages of wondering what to do about the pocket I read about Buttons and Bolts sale. Unfortunately another independent fabric store is closing. I'd never heard of them until they announced their close, when someone put up a notice on Stitchers Guild.
I placed an order and acc'd to the website it shipped Oct 26. Still not here. When it gets here I'll line the skirt. Then it goes on display at the store, in anticipation of a January class.
edit to update: I wrote this blog post yesterday and scheduled it to post tonight. Well, I got home from work a little bit ago, but just this minute opened the box from Buttons and Bolts. None of the lining I anticipated getting was in there. Crap! Another delay on finishing this skirt. I'm teaching tomorrow night, after working tomorrow day. I'll have to buy lining then.

Moral of the story Do not cut until you've checked your layout and are sure you can fit all your pieces on the fabric. I'm still feeling a bit of the sting of such a moronic move on my part.
***********
Stash Acquisition
Not what I'm supposed to be about these days. Ha! Once the sewing bug bit again I've been sorely tempted more than once. I've been adding a piece here and there.
From Buttons and Bolts ~~I've got 20 yds total of China silk (habotai, not the poly stuff) and Ambiance coming, all purchased for less than $3/yd.~~
and, two pieces of denim, a white shirting fabric (thought I already had one but cannot find it), a ~~black wool crepe (which I just found in the trunk, the piece I did have but thought had used up), and a piece of cotton lawn~~.

More Stash Acquisition
If you follow Stitchers Guild you also know that SWAP rules and plans are up. The last fabric that I have yet to add a pic for for my planned SWAP - I'm thinking of calling it Winter Blues, is a piece from Emma One Sock. Purchased last month.

Think I'll still be buying fabric once we move to the boat? Isn't this blog supposed to be about using up the STASH?

In honor of the sun

2009-11-02T08:01:00.003-06:00

In honor of the sun, which has decided to put in an appearance again in St Louis, I thought I'd bring you some more boating pics from the summer.
It's been raining here for weeks. I heard on the radio this AM that they've closed President Casino downtown due to flooding at LaCledes Landing.

So, without further commentary

a boat under spinnaker following us into harbor at sunset

a day outing on Lake Michigan off Pentwater with my dad and his wife Joan and friends Art and Linda.

Linda, on the left holding the book, is a knitter too and I first met her when she decided to knit the doubleknit ski hat that I've made so many of.

Sewing Going On (knock me over with a feather)

2009-11-01T20:22:00.007-06:00

Burda 09-2009-110

I'm slowly getting my sewing mojo back. That is, my sewing mojo to sew for myself.
I'm just going to say this to get it out of the way, then we can move on....
I haven't sewn for myself in any significant way in over 2 years, mostly because I was really unhappy with my weight. I know - sew for the body you have, yada blah blah etc...
But the truth is, I didn't, didn't want to, just didn't. I got a significant amount of sewing done, from home dec sewing for the boat and house to sewing a Mother of the Bride dress for my BFF, to all the sewing I did for the girls and for my sister.
Well, finally, last April I got off my tush and did something about the weight. It's a slow process. I'm working out, and eating better. Nothing more fancy or complicated than that. So far I'm down a little more than 20 lbs but not quite 25 lbs. That's a depressingly slow 3 lbs/month. I've got more to go. But I'm finally at a weight where I can bear making clothes for me.
re: the few things I did make for myself, it's all too big. Way too big. See end of post for the pic of what's gone to the Goodwill.

Meanwhile, I'm developing a healthy dose of sympathy for those who don't know what size to choose when starting to sew. Even though I measured, and I know I've lost weight, evidently I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I need to cut a smaller size.
I cut the largest size Burda publishes, and added 1" side seam sm allowances.
after several on-and-off adjustments during a fitting phase, I ended up moving the pleats over 3/8" in front, taking a deeper dart in back and taking 2" seam allowances on the side seams. I didn't need to take it in quite so much at the hip as the waist, but I traced the waist 2 sizes smaller.

For the fitting I stitched on a Petersham ribbon at the waistline, just so that I wasn't dealing with a waistline that wanted to stretch. Here is a washed out photo of the skirt as it is now.

You can just see the white basting lines holding the pocket closed on the right.
Now I've got to add the lining. Fortunately I didn't cut that out Wednesday when I cut out the skirt. The lining is cut on a fold and eliminates the pleat fullness. I've also got to use a bit of the leftover scraps to cut out some belt loops.
I have a piece of cotton that I'd like to make a shirt out of to go with this.
I played with images yesterday (or was it Friday?) after work. Mostly I was trying to see if I could make it work to use the gathered front blouse over this pleated front. I don't think so. I wanted it to be my test blouse before cutting into a piece of purple silk. Not going to go.
But, what do you think about the ruffle collar one? Cidell made it quite awhile back and challenged me to make it to try to figure out that facing. I'm only a little late... ;)

*******************

I did mention an incident about the plaid last post didn't I?
Well, I was saved by a very kind lady in this area who gave up a part of her piece to save my skirt. I'll write about it tomorrow, and post the rest of the pics, but here's a teaser.

And while we're on the topic of major blunders, in knitting news:

*******************
"to save time, take the time to knit a gauge swatch"
hmmm, Yup.

'nuff said.

And, say bye bye - it's all gone to Goodwill. (well, the red maxi is still on the bed in the guest room, await the fate)

Your input requested

2009-10-14T22:30:00.005-05:00

The Knitting Corner
Someone who is near and dear to me is knitting the Honeycomb Vest from Knitty.
After getting a long ways into the project, it's been decided to add sleeves. I offered to write a pattern for a sleeve.
It'll be easy once I get my schematic down. The question I have, and this is really a construction/pattern drafting question and not a knitting question, so all my sewing friends, this question is for you. Must I redraw the armscye? I think so.
My inclination is to rewrite the pattern for the top of the bodice to add shoulder width, in addition to writing a pattern for a sleeve. I'm thinking that the armscye is cut in so far for the vest that it'll be impossible to get a nice sleeve set in. Oh, and I'll need to eliminated the ribbing and add pattern stitches anyway at the armscye.
Below is the schematic.
Confirm my thoughts? I've drawn the line I think I need to have in red.
edit to ask:
This is being knit in the smallest size. The wearer is a size 0-2 RTW. The depth on the armscye as written is 7.75". Since the consensus seems to be that the armscye needs to come up, anyone have any ideas about how deep that armscye should be? Sommerset? Jae? Someone who's petite or sews for that size typically?

The Sewing Studio
Meanwhile, I've pulled some real bonehead moves in the sewing dept lately.
One is failing to stop by either Joanns or Hancock last weekend and pick up a Simplicity pattern.
Awhile back someone posted some Anthropologie items on Stitchers Guild, among them this top

Photo of Anthropologie Top, no longer avail on their website
I heart this top. Mostly the fabric, and the sleeves. I don't so much love the actual fabric as the idea of it. The color at the hem bleeding into the monochrome of the top. And the texture. And I love the sleeves. Right after I saw it, I began thinking about how to duplicate that sleeve. The next week I saw the Simplicity pattern offerings, and there was a blouse, with this sleeve. Or something close enough to an approximation of it. Cool! Look up when Simplicity will be having a sale. Can't make it.... Look for the next one. Even write it on the calendar. Then forget and don't even look at the calendar. Dang!
The blouse: Simplicity 2501

In any case, That top, the design elements, have stayed with me. I think I have to keep thinking on it, and see where I end up with it.

Tomorrow: The incident with the plaid. Just plain dumb move on my part.

The things you find on Ravelry

2009-10-13T08:38:00.011-05:00

Warning, this post is almost all about knitting.

Gotta love Ravelry.
I finally got around to putting my Judy's Colors stocking on Ravelry, and by the time I did several other projects for this stocking have appeared. When I bought the kit there weren't any.
Well, along with the other projects was a link to an errata page at Judys Colors.
Wouldn't you know!
First, the colors in this brocade knit fabric are close enough that it's hard to see that some of the trees look as if they're missing a limb in the center. It only shows up when you get out the camera. So I just blithely knit the leg of the stocking, following the chart, as written. Yesterday, when I took pics, I thought "those trees look lopsided".
Well, duh, there is an error in the chart. I like to think that if I had been working in a higher contrast yarn combination that I'd have seen it. I have to confess, I'm not ripping it out.

So, this probably isn't the best segue into announcing the fact that I'd like to get into the pool of test knitters for Minimissimi's new wrap cardi Winter Rose. (isn't it pretty?)

Photo belongs to Minimissimi at www.vaivai.com
Gotta love that Friend Activity function on Rav, since it helps filter what you look at by showing you what your friends are tagging. This sweater first came to my attention when Tany tagged it as a favorite.
A couple of years ago I knit the Adrienne Vittadini lace cardi with the surrounding ruffle for Helen.
I found then that I work well with deadline. And, I'd like a sweater like that for my own wardrobe. I've been thinking about going back and knitting the Vittadini for myself, but then this came along, and it's a bit more updated. So I tossed my name in the hat to be a test knitter.
I think that Minimissimi's sweater coat is brilliantly designed. How to take bulky cables and make the design actually visually slimming in a coat is brilliant, IMO.

Other happenings at Ravelry:
Hands On Retreat has been announced. It's a knitting retreat scheduled for May in Chicago. Terri Shea and others will be teaching. Franklin Habit is the keynote speaker. How much fun can that be? So, I already booked my room and plan to go. ... Guess what! It's at exactly the same time as PR Weekend in Philly next May. Last night I told Cidell this, and she just wailed at me "I don't want to hear this!" oh (expletive deleted). Registration and class sign up for Hands On Retreat is coming up soon, and I need to make a decision. Philadelphia or Chicago in May?

Ravelympics have been announced and teams are forming. What to knit, what to knit?

photo from Karabella pattern circular

I do know that before the winter olympics in February I'm going to get my USA scarf knit. I bought this pattern and yarn just after the last winter Olympics, knowing that I wanted it for the next one.

So, did you participate in the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics? In Ravelry's Ravylmpics? are you thinking about it for February?

ohhh, wouldn't it be great if the Winter Rose pattern were ready for test knitting for February, and That could by my Rav project.? First I've got to get selected though. Cross your fingers for me.

Finding my Voice

2009-10-12T18:12:00.006-05:00

Lighthouse at the Entrance to the channel at Holland MI.
Note the direction the flag is blowing - the wind is out of the south. We had about 5 days all summer long with winds out of the south. Weird winds this summer.

Well, when I wrote that last post, June 14, I had no intention of being off-line so long.
And the longer it got, the more difficult it became for me to find something important enough to blog about.
I'm still not certain that I have a enough to write about that is relevant and worthy of your reading time. But I do have some friends out there in the blogosphere who've been encouraging me to get back online, so I'll give it a go again.

First up, I'd like to finally, 4 months later, acknowledge those who left links to their lists.
NancyW wrote a post about lists here
Rose's sewing list is here
Jenny made up a list specifically after reading that last post, then decided she was overcommitted (a not uncommon state of being for those who play with fabric and yarn).
Trudy left a link, but alas no list. She more than made up for that though, with a link to her 8 year old daughters sewing blog. How cool is that?
Most everyone else admitted to making lists, either on paper or in their head. And nearly everyone confessed to rather sketchy follow-through on the lists.
I do think it would be interesting to check back on those lists now that summer is over and see how closely anyone met their listed goals.

I did make a list of sorts last spring.
1. Go sailing...
dh and I made a long list of places we planned to sail to over the summer. Ha! Mother nature was not cooperating. We got in about 1/2 the sailing we'd hoped. The rest of the time we hung out on the boat at the marina, and made new friends. Had a great time.
Generally There was too much wind, generally coming from the wrong direction, however sometimes there just wasn't any wind at all. And, it was the coolest summer on Lake Michigan in recent memory. Cold actually.
I'll add sailing pictures over the next coming months, just so that you don't get innudated all at once. I wouldn't want to bore you with a whole bunch.
This is a pic from a glorious day out on Lake Michigan. We were sailing back to Lake Macatawa from Pentwater Lake and had perfect winds and sunshine
item 2 on my list:
Make a needlepoint Christmas Stocking for my daughter-in-law.
DS#2 asked me to make her one just before they got married last October. When I reminded him that it took me 7 years to make his, he replied that I didn't have to finish hers for This Christmas.
He wanted an angel, so we looked and looked and found an angel that he liked, and I began stitching on this in May. I worked on this project all summer, almost to the exclusion of everything else. And, I finished the stitching in September, right after Labor Day.
I ordered Velveteen and cording, and now I just have to block it and put it all together.
She was stitched on 18 count canvas using a variety of fibers.

detail photo of the "ribbon" line at the hem of the angels dress. I used metallic threads, silk thread and beads to stitch that area.

I'm reasonably certain that she never looks at this blog, so I'm thinking she'll be surprised in November when we give the kids their Christmas stuff. I have a box of ornaments and decorations as well as my own kids stockings here. This is the year that both boys are married and both are in their own houses, so it's time to give them their stuff.

But, I can't be without stockings for the family. So, I've started knitting the stockings from the "fabrics" collection from Judys Colors.

For the little bit of knitting I did this summer, this is all I accomplished.

Next time: More sailing pics (or at least "living on a boat" pics), another project or two, and more of my 2009 lists including the Reading List!

I hope you find me again. I promise not to go AWOL again, at least not without notice.

I Love Lists

2009-06-14T16:23:00.003-05:00

I love making them.
I love checking things off of them.
I love comparing mine to others ..tehe

Check out Carolyn's lists on her Saturday Bits and Pieces post
love the 9 things list from Nieman's.
I'm going to get to work on my "pink thing" just as soon as I close this post.

Then I was following links while reading others blogs and perusing FayesSewingAdventures
and see that she has a list on her sidebar of 10 sewing goals for 2009. What a great idea.
Not a list of things she wants to make per se, as much as a list of skills to master or patterns to create and the like. I like that idea.

So, I'm off to make some lists too - I do all sorts of thinking while I'm at the cutting table, and the cutting table it is for me this evening.
What am I up to?

The pink thing.
A dress to wear next weekend to a wedding in Pentwater MI, using a fabric grouping that I've been meaning to get made up for a couple of years.

So, do you make lists?
What is on your list at the moment? If you write a blog post about your lists come back and link it here in the comments and I'll publish the links next week when I publish my lists.

Another pencil skirt

2009-06-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern used: Vogue 1082, a Sandra Betzina pattern

Fabric / Fabric source: A cotton/lycra blend from Sew It Seams in St Louis MO.
I purchased this fabric with a regular 2-main-pattern piece pencil skirt in mind. If I'd stuck with the plan, I'd have a skirt that I'd really like to wear.

However, when I got home and went through the pattern library, looking for Vogue 2770, my TNT pattern, I came across this from Sandra B that I hadn't made yet.

Did I have enough fabric to engineer my print placement? No. But, I thought, "I can just lay it out and let the large-scale floral print fall randomly and it should be fine." HA!
Never think that "random" is going to work with a large scale print. It doesn't.
Check out the dress that Phyllis made and all that she put into the layout of the large graphic print fabric. What makes the dress work is all of the care and thought that went into the layout. The skirt that I featured yesterday, I spent as much time considering layout and in prep as I did in the sewing.

You'll notice, I ended up with a large blue flower on each hip. And a tulip smack dab in the center front panel. And then, worst of all, 4 tulips in a row across the back. Ugh ugh ugh.

Construction details:
Unlined skirt,
Piped in a solid royal blue bias.
Invisible zipper
Waist stayed using white twill tape.

I like the pattern, I like the fit, generally.
I cut a size E at the waist and tapered out to a G, then kept taking it in and taking it in until I had 1 1/4" seam allowances at the side seams. Which means that the proportion of grading I did worked, but I cut too large a size to start with.
Next one I make from this pattern I'll start smaller.

The styling: I'm wearing turquoise sandals, the turquoise is in the skirt. And I wore a silk twin set in royal blue, same color as the piping. To my eye, after looking at these pics, I think it's time to let the twin set go. I like the tucked in, but think I'm going to take a cue from the Lucky article and make a blouse to work with this too.
And truth is, I don't like the royal top/chartruese bottom combo.

Just Skirting Around

2009-06-09T05:30:00.002-05:00

"Every now and then your wardrobe needs an injection of something, new, trendy and fun. That was the thought when we spied the pencil skirts shown in the large graphic prints and florals in the June 2009 issue of Lucky Magazine. These skirts provide a great way to update a classic...so with that photo spread and a little conversation...we were ready to create our own versions. Following are our individual interpretations of an updated yet classic pencil skirt."

Inspiration:

A feature in Lucky Magazine highlighting the pencil skirt done in large scale prints/graphic prints.Photo from Lucky Magazine

The Challenge:

Create a pencil skirt works on our own body and use a bold print. Participants are Carolyn, Cidell, LindsayT, and Me. (I proposed the challenge to a few sewing friends after reading Carolyn's post of May 9 )

The skirt:

Pattern used: A modified version of Vogue 2770. I first made this skirt in a black wool crepe and still wear it. Love the shape and the fit. I moved the slit to the back and placed the front on the fold. This truly fits the definition of a pencil skirt. The hem is 4" narrower in circumference than the hip. A walking slit is definitely required.

I really studied the Lucky Magazine skirts for the styling and the details. Notice on the photo above that the hemlines on these skirts are right on the knee or an inch below the knee. Notice also the tops. Tucked in. Classic shirt styling or blouson peasant style.
I pulled a top from my closet (an older RTW wrap top - didn't realize how badly that back fit - ugh), but have plans in the next weeks to make a blouse for my pencil skirts. To tuck in. I love the way the waistband motif matches with the skirt motif and finishes off the center. However it's all covered up by the wrap blouse.
It would be easy to wear a jersey knit top with this too, but I'm liking the way they're showing it.

Fabric / Fabric source: A silk / cotton blend twill from Fabric Mart. I originally purchased this to make a maxi-dress this spring. But when it came I was less than thrilled with the hand for the dress I wanted. And when I ended up needing an alternative for this skirt, this fabric came handily to mind.
Lining: Ambiance.
Underlining: Fusi-knit or Sof-knit (have 10 yds of this stuff but can't remember exactly which it is)

Construction details:
Engineering the print placement - The success of this garment is totally dependent on the placement of the print.
I held the fabric up to me and moved the motif up and down to figure out which would be the most desirable placement.
Fortunately, the scale works out well for this project. I decided to place the waist right at the horizontal pink motif that separates the turquoise vertical paisley curls.

I underlined the skirt using a fusible.
Click on this photo to make it larger and read the text.
The skirt has a contour waistband. To stay the waist and prevent it from stretching out I used a selvage edge piece of silk organza.
To hem the lining, which is free hanging except where it is stitched to the back slit, I borrowed a technique from Carolyn and used a piece of vintage lace.
To support the waist closure and reduce the strain on the zipper I inserted a tab at the Center back behind the zipper on the left waistband and stitched a button to the waistband facing on the right.

Doing the goofy model pose

All in all I'm very pleased with this skirt, and am going to love wearing it.
Thanks Carolyn, Cidell and LindsayT for keeping this project on track and making it fun!!

See tomorrows post for a less successful attempt at the pencil skirt in a large / graphic print. As I stated above, print placement is Everything!

Vogue 8571, a quick knit dress

2009-06-07T06:57:00.005-05:00

The DressMe wearing Vogue 8571 (someday I'll learn how to stand straight in front of a camera - looks like I'm lurching to the side)

I said I'd get some sewing done this week!
The Fabric
Staring me in the face, on the front of the lower shelf of my rolls of fabrics, has been this awesome rayon print that I got from Lucy's Fabrics, was it one year ago, or two?
You may recognize it as the same print that BWOF made this top from in 06/2007 issue. Stacy made the top in this fabric and it's darling on her. I've been holding onto it, waiting for the right pattern to show up to make it. The top was just a bit too bare for me to wear.

The Pattern:
From one of the recent pattern sales I'd picked up Vogue 8571, a Very Easy Vogue knit dress pattern.

Description: MISSES' DRESS: Pullover dresses A, B in two lengths have bodice front and back gathers, self-faced neck band and flared skirt. A: length is mid-knee. B: length is mid-calf. FABRICS: †† Two-way Stretch Knits Only: Cotton Lycra*, Nylon Lycra* and Rayon Lycra* (* Dupont Registered Trad-emark). Unsuitable for obvious diagonals.

I made View B. The difference being, on me, View A didn't fall mid knee, but well above it, and View B fell just below the knee.

Construction Notes:
I cut a size 16 in the bodice, tapering out to an 18 in the skirt, and took 5/8" side seams in the bodice then trimmed them, and used a generous 1/4" serged seam allowance through the skirt. Unorthodox way to grade out a pattern, but 5/8" seam allowances in a knit like this are ludicrous.
As far as the print - it's huge, so all I did was check for large motifs and make sure that none were in embarrassing "bullseye" positions, then I just went for it.

As is typical of the Big4, the instructions for constructing the bodice are more appropriate to wovens than to knits. At least they didn't recommend a zipper this time. None is needed.
What they recommend:

Stitch the side and shoulder seams of the bodice Front and Back together, and run gathering stitches along the neck and empire waist edges.
They have you interface the neck bands, then gather the bodice directly to the neck band. Then you stitch the neck band facing to the neckband at the neck edge and then understitch, then hand stitch the facing down to the bodice.

What I did:

Inside Front Bodice

lined up the bodice front pattern piece with the neck band pattern piece and folded out the amount of gathers, then cut a lining piece for the front using tricot from stash. I then gathered the bodice front to the lining, stitching the lining to the fashion fabric wrong sides together.
I interfaced both the neck band and neck band facing pieces with fusible sof-knit, then stitched my shoulder seams, then stitched the facing together with the band at the neck edge, understitched as instructed, then turned the facing to the inside, pressed. At this point I stitched together the lower edge of the band and facing and trimmed off the excess of the facing using the serger. The understitching combined with the turn of the cloth meant that the facing was hanging about 1/8" lower than the band. *It should be noted that the pattern calls for 5/8" seam allowances, and I used 1/4" seam allowances at both neck edge and lower edge, so my band is approx 3/4" wider than the pattern is drafted for.
I then stitched the neck band to the bodice all the way around and then pressed the seam allowance toward the bodice. This is perfectly acceptable in knit construction. The seam allowance need not be enclosed as it should be for a woven. And this rayon presses beautifully.
I then stitched the bodice to the skirt, which I'd already stitched together at side seams, and hemmed on my new coverstitch machine (whew, there is a learning curve there). At this point I put it on, and didn't like how loose the empire seam was. So I went back and serged on a piece of clear elastic stretching the elastic as I stitched. The result is that the lower bodice pulls back nicely to the rib cage. Fortunately I'd stitched my empire seam together on the sewing machine, which allowed me "try on" time without a serged edge to contend with. If I'd attached them with the serger I'd have had to figure out how to stitch the elastic on without adding the bulk of another row of serging.

Clear Elastic serged to Empire seam allowance

Inside back bodice neckline

Note that I did not line the bodice back, which means that I was gathering the neck edge directly to the neck band, which was a bit tricky in a jersey knit that just wants to roll.

Back ViewConclusion:
I like the dress. I love the fabric! Love it. Comfortable rayon knit to wear. Classy looking.
I still like the design of the Maggy London dress from 2 seasons ago better, but I wore that dress to death and decided I needed another, different knit dress.
Will I make this again? Maybe.

Long and rambling catch-up

2009-06-03T07:48:00.013-05:00

We're back. I thought I'd have internet access on the boat, but at this point, we haven't bit the bullet and paid for the service up there, so, I've been offline since ~May 20.
I'm going to just try to catch up quick and dirty like, then add a few posts with more detail before I take off again.
1. The Boat - pictures at end of post
We got some sailing in, and a lot of work done on the boat. It's still quite cold up along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Every morning was a fleece vest or rain gear wearing AM, midday generally we could shed down to short sleeves, but by sundown we were back in fleece.

Me standing at end of pier where Holland lighthouse is located (see pics end of post). This pic was taken May 25. Note the fact that I'm wearing a skirt (very comfortable jeans style made from stretch woven cotton. I spent more time in that skirt than in the shorts I made), and wearing a sweater and then a fleece lined vest over. Temps were dipping into the 40's at night. I think we saw a high of 72 one day! :)
That thing in the background? - It's the dredging apparatus that blocks half the mouth of the channel everyday, and then they've got half the channel marked off with bouys. Hopefully they finish all this before we get back up there.

2. Knitting Progress
I got a lot of knitting done on the Apres Surf Hoodie I've been working on for myself.
My progress

The pattern pic.
Enough so that I can take a pic and it'll look like something. I love this knit. It's an easy lace pattern to memorize, and it's getting a lot easier for me to "read" my lace. I've always been proficient at reading cables, but lace - not so much. I've knit in the round up to the neckline and armscye split and am partway up the front above the armscye. I figure that puts me about 1/2 way. I still have 2 sleeves and the hood. The yarn is RYC cashsoft 4ply. Dreamy to knit with.
Oh, project monogamy on the boat is a lot easier. There's only one project to work on!

3. Current sewing
1. I've gotten a bit of sewing done lately too. Finally got out the camera and took some pics.
I finished a knit dress for my sister using BWOF 121
The fabric was from Gorgeous Fabrics last year, and the pattern called for a contrast and a wrap skirt. I decided to make it slightly less "Duro"-like and just ran the print the other direction for the contrast bands. I also eliminated the wrap part of the skirt as I didn't have quite enough fabric for that. Tany made a gorgeous version of this dress last year.
2. I finished a pair of black cotton shorts to take with us.
Forgive the picture. I wore them last night and they're wrinkled, but I didn't get a pic of them on me.
Pattern: Vogue 8365. The same pattern I used last Feb to make the yellow linen shorts and the turq blue cotton ones, that have both been tossed. I failed to stabilize the waistband in the yellow with staytape, and they stretched to the point that I could take them off without unzipping. Given that I have a large difference between my waist and hip measurement, you have to know, that is a LOT of stretching. The turq pair would have been fine, except I used an old and awful fusible interfacing in the waistband and it puckered and looked horrible. I couldn't live with it. Fortunately that incident caused me to clean out my interfacing drawer and toss out all the crap.
Anyway, I knew that I wasn't wild about the pattern, but I got so many nice comments on the shorts that when I found the pattern again - having thought that I'd tossed it too - I made the mistake of using it for these black shorts. The rise is too low. The cut is just a bit flat in the rear. Even though I raised the CB for sway back alteration, they're still not right. So, I'll wear these, but this time I did throw the pattern in the trash can. I'm getting better at that.
Next pair of shorts I'm going to try the new Burda - the paper-bag style that BeeBee just made, or the Alice and Olivia Vogue 1059 pattern that I've been using and loving for pants this past winter.
3. I made a full length body pillow using a white matellase from The Fabric Company in Chesterfield MO, for the boat of course. The walls of the boat are a bit chilly and I wanted something between me and the wall for these cold spring nights. No pics, of course. Easy construction. Zipper closure, no welting, boxed corners.

4. I'm currently working on BWOF 02-2009-105. Birgitte made a great black/white version of this dress last month. I'm loving this pattern every bit as much as she did.
I have the bodice made and will finish the skirt today and put it together. I'm making it two tone, using bits of fabric that I had in stash. This is an embroidered silk dupioni that I've been hanging onto for several years, trying to figure out what to do with the 7/8 yd that I had. This is NOT the way to match patterns. If I'd had enough fabric then the motif would match across the front. However, I'm not totally unhappy with the way the motifs are, and the fit on this bodice is fabulous. The skirt is a black rayon linen look. I'll review it and model it when it's done. Actually, I intend to wear it to work tomorrow.

4. Inspiration and future planning
I'm in love with this dress on the St Johns website. And, although I need another piece of fabric like I need a hole in my head, I'm looking for the possibilities.
There is this piece from Manhattan fabrics, but I'm thinking it's probably too heavy, and I'd really like a knit. Then, there is this from Elliott Berman. Not exactly the right thing, but closer. Then there is the problem of the graphic print to go with it. Anyone seen anything anywhere that might fill the bill?

5. The next wedding
is in September. September 19 at the northernmost border of Illinois. Could be hotter than blazes but most likely will be a lovely cool 70ish degree day. Avg high is 74 and avg low is 52 for Sept for that part of the country.

The bride has chosen red for her bridesmaids,
and her mom has chosen a pretty tea length navy blue dress.
I need to choose an appropriate color and style for a noon wedding that will be followed by a luncheon that will include dancing.
I have some ideas, but I'm open to suggestion at the moment.

6. Comments and emails
Like everyone else, I love getting comments and emails. I'm especially enjoying the emails that I'm getting from some of you telling me your boating and sailing stories. Who knew that someone many of us in sewing blogland know spent a part of her younger wilder days living on a houseboat? And I'm hearing from others who have the same / similar dreams and plans. And of course others of you who think I'm nuts!
Thank you all for putting up with my OT boat ramblings. I'll try to throw some sewing/ knitting content out there in the next week or so. There are some things on the table now that are blog-worthy.

Some pics:

Holland LIghthouse at entrance to chanel taken from land side

Entrance to channel taken from boat

Frieghter passing behind our boat slip

sails up
Lake Michigan shoreline off in distance

Launched!

2009-05-18T09:44:00.008-05:00

Before we left I did a bit more sewing for the boat.
The drawing above gives the dimensions for the pullman berth in the master cabin. Ever tried making a bed with square/rectangle sheets when the bed is built in and of weird dimensions?
I decided that I needed to make "fitted" sheets.

I began with a fitted sheet for a queen size bed, and opened up the fitted corners. Then I found I needed to add back some of what had been cut out of the corners when the rectangle was made. So I did that, then cut the sheet to the dimensions I needed to fit the mattress, plus 6" all the way around to fold around and under.
I don't have pics, but next I used the serger to apply the elastic to the corners and ends, and it worked like a charm. Best of all, the sheets are a perfect fit.
Now I need to go return the mattress pad I bought and exchange it for one of the more padded "feather-bed" ones. Then I'll go through the same exercise as above to fit it to the berth.

And, As the ticker up top indicates, it's past launch day and we're in the water!
A pictorial story follows. Last up is the seagull who's taken up residence on the piling straight across the dock, Keeping watch on our boat. I think he was really just waiting to see if we'd feed him some of the crackers and cheese we were sampling in the cockpit.
BTW folks, it's still bloody cold up there. When we woke up on the boat yesterday AM it was 52F in the cabin of the boat, and 40 F outside.

It's a good day to shop

2009-04-28T08:18:00.009-05:00

As the weather gets warmer (and we get closer to launch) knitting becomes less inviting and sewing is taking a higher place on my limited time priority list.

I need summer clothes badly. And shoes I can wear.
I have the habit started 3 or 4 seasons ago of just getting rid of everything at the end of a season that I'm either sick of or what doesn't fit or what is looking worn. Last fall I was heartily sick of the few things that I'd been wearing all summer.
Need I tell you that my clothing options for warm weather right now consist of gym shorts and 2 dresses? The blue/red stripe Bottega Venetta knockoff with the smocked back, and Vogue 8386 in the grey/yellow dot knit. Actually, I'm surprised I didn't get rid of the knit dress, as I'm a bit sick of it already and I've only worn it 3 times this season (last week) (grin).
and

I have no shorts. I have a few knit tops, but they're all looking a bit worn around the edges, and they're all turquoise or pink.
So, I'm ready to whip out a few fast items so that I'm not reduced to wearing the same thing to work every other day when I'm at home, and wearing gym shorts when I'm not at work.

Hot off the machine: BWOF ??-????-??? skirt
in a fairly beefy navy linen

Don't remember the issue the BWOF skirt came from. I traced it off last fall, and didn't label it. RuthieK advised this week on SG to label your patterns as soon as you trace them. Good advice.
I also Can't remember how long ago I got this fabric, nor from where. I know I didn't have much of it, so I ended up having to face the hem. I chose to use another remnant - a seersucker, that's been kicking around here for awhile. I also made the pocket bag and the fly facing from the same seersucker. Then, instead of interfacing the waistband, I decided to face it on the outside with grosgrain ribbon. Back in the day I had instructors who taught us to use grosgrain as the waistband stabilizer inside the waistband. I just decided it would be a cute touch to have it show. So, it's topstitched to the facing side of the straight waistband, then I just hand stitched the fold to the seam allowance inside, as I normally would.

KayY asked about what I do to get the waistband square to the facing and fly front. I had to think, since I don't think I do anything special. But then I was demonstrating to a student last week in class, and the lightbulb went on when a student asked why I was offsetting the stitching line coming up to finish the end of the waistband. I generally come over one or two yarns of the woven fabric when stitching straight up to finish an edge, in order to accomodate the "turn of the cloth". Here's a pic, before the buttonhole and button were finished.

So, what am I shopping for?
Zappos my friends. It's been a long long time since I've gotten any new shoes. I felt like I was overdue.
See a theme here? Looks like I'm going to be ready to celebrate come 4th of July.

Just for good measure, and to be certain I don't get into comical territory, I added this pair in yellow.

So I've got a navy/white summer jacket/top on the sewing table now. And... look for details soon, a BWOF dress or two, or three. Many thanks to Cidell for her loan of two past issues of BWOF that I'm sure I have, I'm sure I do, but I can't find them.

News: I'm hosting the BWOF sewalong at Sew It Seams on Manchester in St Louis beginning Thursday evening April 30, 6PM-9PM. If you're in St Louis, consider joining us.

Let the summer sewing begin!

Swatching for the next Aran

2009-04-27T09:43:00.003-05:00

I've been busy, both sewing and knitting. Today I'm only going to post about yarn and knitting, but I'll be back later this week to chat about sewing.
Below are the swatch samples I've knit, swatching for the next aran sweater.
If you click on each individual swatch it should take you to a much larger photo. If it doesn't, they're uploaded in my flickr album too.

Jamiesons Shetland Heather
2/9c - 100% Shetland wool - 16-22 sts/20-24 rows = 4" - US 6-8 - 50 gr ball - Approx 101 yds Currently $7.75/sk Approx cost to knit an Na Craga - 20 balls = $155
Definitely the heaviest of all the yarns. Probably the "scratchiest" to wear too. I've got this navy to knit dh an aran, and swatched it in Na Craga. The yarn is not suited, at least not for my needles, to one of the more subtle patterns with a lot of twisted stitches and single stitch meandering patterns, like Irish moss. I may end up knitting this up as Na Craga, or maybe Inishmaan. Complete color list here.

Alice Starmore Hebridean 3ply
about the Hebridean Yarn Stocking Stitch: 21 23 Sts x 28 32 Rows. 4.5mm 4mm 3.75mm needles.
Currently 5.50GBP. at todays exchange rate of $1.46, cost for 20 sk = $160.65

Easily the nicest stitch definition both before and after blocking of all my swatches. 100% wool but not scratchy. Colors are rich with depth. Drawback is that VY is selling off their existing stock of the Hebridean 3ply and according to an email I received from Mairie, after an inquiry I made, they have no plans to continue the 3ply line. Limited colors are available.
The Red Deer I swatched is destined to become an Irish Moss aran for me!

Rowan Felted Tweed.
50% wool, 25% alpaca, 25% viscose.

191 yards (175 meters) 50 grams (1.76 ounces)

Gauge 22.0 = 4 inches Needle size US 5 - 6
Current suggested retail is $9.75
Fortunately, I bought this yarn at Chris's Needle Arts (Chris is closing shop) and got it for significantly less.

This is the lightest weight of all that I swatched, and would be the most suited to wear in an indoor environment where central heating is set at 70F. However, it is the swatch that I'm most disappointed in, in terms of the behavior of the yarn, and I'm least likely to actually knit an aran with this yarn. I'm thinking I'll go to Ravelry and find a pattern with a lot less required stitch definition.

Jaeger Shetland 80% wool, 20% alpaca
knits on a size 7 needle. Discontinued yarn. I bought it at closeout from Janettes Rare Yarns and have 30 sk of the dk green - swatch shown here, and 30 sk of the lighter sage green.
If I hadn't swatched this and done a direct comparison with the VY Hebridean 3ply and the Jamiesons, I'd probably be perfectly happy with the look of this swatch. However, in comparison to the others, it flattened out a Lot in the blocking. It also has a nice halo, which I assume is attributable to the alpaca. It is lighter weight than both the Hebridean and Shetland, however I believe it will be equally as warm a sweater.

I'm swatching all these to send to my son Mark, to whom I've promised to knit another aran sweater. The first one I knit for him was a wealth of knowledge gained and a learning experience, however not so successful in the actual garment.
I fulled it when it appeared that the sweater was huge, after I knit those extra side panels. Well, the sweater grew sideways and shrunk a bit lengthwise, and I ended up having to cut it apart, after it was fulled, and restitch it to the desired dimensions. I also, after refiguring the sleeves before knitting, still had to pull those apart to add more width. Like I said, a learning experience. So, he's got all these unnecessary seams, and a sweater that is pilling faster than he can cut the little suckers off. Totally bad yarn choice.
I told him to go ahead and wear that one while working in the basement workshop, where it's cold, and that I'd knit him another for Christmas this year.

I know Liana has had great success with the yarns from Bendigo woolen mills, which I've not tried. Does anyone else have any other great suggestions? Oh, that will also keep me at or under $150 for around 2100 yds.

Slipcovering a puzzle

2009-04-19T19:17:00.002-05:00

Fabric: P Kaufmann outdoor cotton print
Settee backs are finished. Seats are mostly done. Waiting on some zipper tape.
see end of post for sources.

It's been a bit of a puzzle to figure out how to slipcover, not reupholster. The stripe is a bit bright, and although I love it today, I'm counting on the fact that at some point I'm going to be really happy to be able to change it out easily.

You can tell from the shape of the seat back, with that board that slides down behind the seat, that it was a bit of a puzzle.

I am happy to have been able to find

Vislon Zipper Tape-Molded Tooth
Sold by the yard; this very strong continuous Vislon zipper tape can be cut into any length. This is the perfect zipper for marine use. It cannot be made into a separating zipper.

at Seattle Fabrics.
Waiting on the zipper to finish the seats. Fortunately for me, there was only room in the car for the seat backs, so the fact that the seat bottoms weren't done yet wasn't a real problem.
Counting down....

oh, a footnote:
I'm sewing again, and am really excited. Today I began a navy linen skirt.
and
I'm halfway up the body (in the round) on the Apres Surf Hoodie. Pics to come.

Whooo Hooo!

2009-04-13T15:16:00.001-05:00

Hi Marji,

Jessica Aframe here from the Taunton Press. I saw on your blog requests for a Threads Archive Collection. I wanted to let you know that we are in the process of producing an archive. The DVD will be available right after Thanksgiving. We will start to promote it on our website early fall. Will you please share this information with your readers?

Thank you,

Jessica Aframe

Senior Marketing Manager

Threads, Sew Stylish, CraftStylish

jaframe@taunton.com

Phone: 203-304-3260

Shopping lists and recipes and Magazine back issues

2009-04-10T07:51:00.005-05:00

Progress
The boat cushions are well underway. Yeah!!
Pics early this afternoon if I can get that organized. Today is the first day off work in awhile. Between the pant class I'm teaching, a zipper class I taught Monday, my regular job, and making boat cushions, I've been keeping busy.
MissD, you have a package coming as soon as this pant class is finished. ;)

And today I have 4 "kids" coming for the Easter weekend. And if my thinking is right, 3 dogs. Our quiet household is going to get unquiet, quickly.
So this AM I'm organizing the menus for the weekend, and going shopping.

I have years - boxes and boxes worth of cooking magazines downstairs. As I was going through my back Spring issues of Saveur Cooks this AM, I found out they have a website. (duh moment, of course they do.)

http://www.saveur.com/

It's awesome.
I've known for quite some time that Bon Appetit and Gourmet recipes are to be found on Epicurious.com.
and...
Taunton Press has just released a CD/DVD of all 15 years worth of Fine Cooking. for only $99.95.
Dh is getting it for me for Easter or Birthday or maybe just May Day.

I'm so excited (I know, doesn't take much, does it?)

And, now I can get rid of all those boxes of paper mags in the basement, without the angst that accompanies the thought of never having that info again.

Anyone want to start a letter/email writing campaign to Taunton Press to get them to issue 150 back issues of Threads on a DVD set?
Would you pay $100 to own a complete set of Threads on DVD? I would! In fact, I have, many times over, in that I've paid +/- $4 for each magazine, and have most of them, starting with issue #1.
The information in them is invaluable.
Leave a comment here if you would, and I'll pass this blog post on to Taunton, and while you're at it, dash off a quick email to PublicRelations@taunton.com

Back to writing the shopping list.
If I don't get back this afternoon with pics of the cushion progess, Have a Happy Easter.
And if you don't celebrate Easter, at least have a wonderful weekend.

tick tock tick tock

2009-03-28T11:33:00.003-05:00

I will admit to a bit of panic.
I just added a ticker bar to the header on this blog. When I consider how long this adventure has been a dream, something in the planning stages, the reality of the beginning is mind-boggling.

Originally I began this blog as a way to document the reduction of my stash as I prepared to go live on a boat.
Ha!
Along the way I've met many wonderful women, some who've become online friends, others who've crossed the internet barrier to become IRL friends too. And I've become a more and less active member of creative online communities including Stitchers Guild, Pattern Review, and Ravelry.
and along with that, I've learned all about the joys of the availability of EVERY kind of fabric and yarn possible, just by the click of a button. So the inherent tendency I had to buy extraordinary pieces of fabric when I saw them, because I might never see them again, turned into a problem.

It's taken a lot of time to turn the prism and view the situation of buying fabrics differently. Now the axiom is "there will always be more fabric [yarn]".
Meanwhile, my stash has grown, not shrunk, even though I've managed to get a lot of sewing and knitting done in the last several years.

oh boy. Now reality sets in.
Timetables - I thought about 3 tickers, but just couldn't go there yet.
Launch: tentatively set for May 15
Next wedding: Mark and Megan, Sept 19
List the house for sale: tentatively shooting for Oct 15.

YIKES!

to do:

prior to launch -

get the boat cushions recovered
organize everything here that is going to the boat for the first two week sail. Fortunately we have all summer to move things to the boat and figure out what is going to work on board and what isn't. But there are certain things I need to have on board from day 1.

I had been considering just taking some pots and pans from the kitchen, but an argument has been made that is convincing me to try out one of the nesting sets. I like to cook. this is no secret. I abhor crappy cookware. Until this week I thought all nesting cookware sets were of the variety found in the section with campstoves, made from lightweight tin. Not on my boat.
Well, I just found out that Cuisinart and Magma both make cookware sets just for our situation. Right now I'm leaning towards the Cuisinart. I like the two size saute pans and only one saucepan, as opposed to the multiple saucepans and only one saute included in the Magma set. I've also read in reviews from other boaters that the lack of lids is a real drawback to the Magma set. I'm thinking there's an online purchase coming up soon that doesn't involve fiber.

Magma on left, Cuisinart on right

Prior to the wedding - lots left to do, I'll find out more about my role in 2 weeks when Mark and Megan are here for Easter.

Prior to listing the house. oh my achin' head

repaint the primary living areas and the girls room
finish all window treatments
get Cherry floors refreshed, if not refinished.
and for what you're interested in - brutally assessing what I can keep, and what I need to let go of. This is where some of the destash is going to come in. oy.

so, I'm going to now use this blog to keep myself on track while that ticker ticks down.
It probably won't be really interesting to watch me tick off items from a list - but do stay tuned if you're interested in the destash to come.

update and progress

2009-03-27T08:18:00.004-05:00

First, Many thank you's to Summerset and Carolyn for naming me in the sisterhood award.
I'm so grateful for the internet friends I've made in the last several years.
My blog time right now is extremely limited - but I promise it won't always be this way.
I'm going to pass that award along, and also try to express what the friendship of so many flung so far has meant to me as I've become a part of this creative on-line community.
Think I'll do like Carolyn does, and write it out long-hand while on slow time at work, then just be able to come to the computer to type it. So look for it this week.

Meanwhile, I do have some progress to report and some knitting to show off.
Sorry, no sewing pics. I mean really, as I said to Mardel yesterday, who wants to look at photos of drapery panels?

Hugs to all of you out there.

A really quick Update/and explanation for why I've been off-line off-blog for so long.
I've been working more hours, with no internet access at work, and have been using the time before and after work to get some projecting done. I try to knit an hour to 1.5 hours in the AM, then another hour or two before bed. The day off I have here and there, that I'm not teaching, I've been sewing home dec.
I've also been teaching on weekends. Fun, and I like teaching, but it does cut into my own time.

Update sewing:(in red)
slipcovers for cushions to make for the entire boat. That will take 4 weeks of dedicated sewing when I'm not at work. My deadline on those is May 1.measured/figured/ready to cut on Sunday
drapery panels and valances for the master bedroom. Finished panels, hung them, still need to make swag valance
drapery panels for the dining room - 2 are pleated, 2 are on sewing machine table downstairs ready to pleat - making progress!
padded cornice board cover for ds#1. finished
Swag valance for Kitchen French doors and window over sink. Fabric is cut, ready to sew. haven't touched this yet!

Amy Butler Weekender bag. haven't touched it

knitting update:

St Enda
cast on Feb 20, finished knitting 2nd sleeve March 22. Needs sewing together and neck band knit. I'm very disappointed in the dye lots in the Fishermans Yarn from Lion Brand. It goes from cream to yellow back to creamy white, all in the same skein.

Pattern: Kashmir by Dale of Norway. - still in same state it was in last blog post.

Wakame - ripped out when I figured out I didn't have enough yarn. It was going to be short, no sleeves, and I still risked running out - so I frogged it.
The other pattern that I'd really like to make from that issue is the Apres Surf Hoodie
Cast on March 22.
Yarn: Rowan Cashsoft 4ply purchased 3 or 4 years ago from CucumberPatch
I used the provisional cast on and knit in the hem, rather than using the I-cord bind off the pattern calls for. I really like the knit on hem.

Also I could not resist casting on another mitten, so middle of last week I got out one of the Rhiivilla kits and cast on the rose mittens. Aren't they just gorgeous?

must leave for work now, out with dh tonight, teach tomorrow, Work on cushions all day Sunday, back to work Monday.

clock of life

2009-02-27T16:49:00.001-06:00

My contribution (late as it is) to February Poetry Month silent poem reading:
I first heard this recited by Jack Klang, a salty old sailor who's teaching seminars now for Quantum Sails.

Clock of Life - a poem loosely based on a poem by Robert Smith

On an ancient wall in China
where a brooding Buddha blinks,
deeply graved is the message-
It is later than you think.

The Clock of life is wound but once
and no man has the power,
to tell just when the hands will stop,
at late or early hour.

Now is all the time you own,
the past a golden link,
go Cruising now my brother-
It is later than you think.

---------------------
And consider that justification enough for the vacillation on our schedule to go sailing. The clock is moving again.

---------------------
PS.
if you're a purist and don't care for the revised version, here's the original

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.

To lose one's wealth is sad indeed,
To lose one's health is more,
To lose one's soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.

The present only is our own,
So Live, Love, toil with a will --
Place no faith in 'Tomorrow' --
For the clock may then be still.

Robert H. Smith
©1932-1982

Do you Plan your projects?

2009-02-24T12:39:00.004-06:00

SWAP, (which, BTW, is going on right now on Stitchers Guild) promotes planning your projects so that you end up with a cohesive wardrobe. So that you sew (or make) garments that won't be "orphans" in your closet. The problem with Planning all your projects a few months in advance is that much of the excitement lies in the planning and beginning of a new project. So this year I opted not to participate in SWAP. Although I could certainly use a wardrobe that fits me right now.

So, I started to take a look at the projects that I MUST get made and finished before I can start sewing with a (garment) plan. oh boy...bring on the home dec!

I have

slipcovers for cushions to make for the entire boat. That will take 4 weeks of dedicated sewing when I'm not at work. My deadline on those is May 1.
drapery panels and valances to make for the master bedroom. Two panels are hung already, two more reside on the dining room table. The fabric for the valances is still uncut.
drapery panels for the dining room - the 4 panels are made and lined, the rods are hung, all I need to do is pleat the headers. I'm considering skipping the swags for over the top.
padded cornice board cover for ds#1. I finished and hung the one for his living room a week ago. I now have to make the one for his dining room.
Swag valance for Kitchen French doors and window over sink. Fabric is cut, ready to sew.

Why is it that I've had most of these window treatments planned for several years, yet have procrastinated making them until the deadline of getting the house finished looms?

In addition, I have the fabric now and am really excited to make the Amy Butler Weekender bag.
So what have I been doing while not at work for the last week?
I've started 3 new knitting projects. Each have been started with deliberation.
Two require paying attention to. The other, while it looks complex, can easily be knit while at knitting group.
St Enda
from Aran Knitting by Alice Starmore
I started an aran sweater for me using Lion Brand Fishermans wool, based on the recommendation of several knitters on Ravelry, most notably Janet Szabo of Big Sky Knitting. It's easily the most affordable yarn I could have chosen. I'm knitting it on 6's, which is giving me a nice tight fabric which will be great for those colder evenings on the lake this summer. It's not all that unusual for the temps to dip down into the 40's on the water up North. I bought the yarn for this at two different Joanns last week, and cast it on Saturday Feb 21. It is the most annoying thing, that Joanns and Michaels, where this yarn is most often found, can't be bothered to stock more than 4 skeins, if they stock it at all.

Pattern: Kashmir by Dale of Norway. Cast on yesterday before going to knitting group. This one isn't so hard on my hands, but I do need to get to a copy shop to enlarge the print on the chart. This pattern is OOP and quite in demand. I'd borrowed a copy from Marina, however wasn't able to start it while it was in my possession. Then while on a trip to northern Michigan several months ago I happened to find a couple of copies tucked away in the archives of a LYS, so now I own my own copy. This one is going much faster than I'd anticipated. I'm already on round 12 of the pattern, past the 14 rows of the lace and ribbing at the hem.

Yarn: Tiur

And lastly, cast on February 12, using some age old Filature di Crosa yarn from stash, I've started Wakame. from the Summer 2008 issue of Interweave Knits, designed by Angela Hahn
The other pattern that I'd really like to make from that issue is the Apres Surf Hoodie

In addition, I need some shorts and summer slacks before June.
And I'd love to make the trench coat that I didn't make last summer, and I'd also love to make the Marfy duffle coat using the Burberry rainwear I bought from Michael last year.
Or maybe the HP1030 from Hot Patterns.

So, how far ahead do you plan your projects?
How much of what you plan actually sees the light of day (or needle?)

post script: Marina's got a couple of gorgeous projects OTN now. I just looked at her Malin, and decided I needed to look up yarn requirements for that. Guess what's gone missing from my bookshelves? My copy of In the Hebrides. ARGH! Unlike my needles, which seem to find themselves all over the place, my books are very well organized.

What I've been meaning to say

2009-02-13T09:43:00.006-06:00

Blog post ideas that have been floating around in my head:

The sewing post on stripes and orientation of same
The post on planning your work and what you actually do relative to those plans. Cidell posted recently that she's written out her top projects and in looking at them realized that there isn't enough work related clothing so she is going to re-visit the plan. Carolyn writes that the surest way to kill a project is to put it on the "plan to sew" list....and I've got a queue and plans of things I really want to make....so why is it that what jumped onto my needles this week hasn't even been on my radar??? more to come
The post that is partially written on plaids. Birgitte has actually been making what I've only thought about. And chosen fabric and patterns for...maybe next year. sigh.
a real departure for me, but my post on the economy and the dichotomy of spending to stimulate the economy vs being financially responsible and actually doing what we've been told to do for years and actually building a savings account. I've started reading the blog titled The Simple Dollar>>31 days to Fix your Finances.

So, who is going to develop the first technology that will allow me to dictate my blog posts and have them magically appear? Because lately it's been a real challenge to translate the blog post idea to an actual blog post.

Meanwhile, I've got another FO to show.
Last blog post I talked about all the knitting that is finished off the needles, simply in need of sewing up.
And then I showed the unsuccessful starts of the next project that I want to knit, an aran. And I sort of just breezed by the fact that I had one last sweater project on the needles. It was the Kilkenny aran sweater by Lorraine Condotta of Twisted Traditions that I started and gifted to my son a year ago. I had some sizing problems, and set the sweater aside.

After having all those yarn issues with trying to start another aran, I took it as a sign, an omen if you will (I've been reading/listening to a lot of medieval history lately and don't you know, everything is imbued with signs and portents), anyway, I took it as a sign that I needed to finish Mark's Kilkenny.
I'm going up to IL to see Mark Sunday, and I thought how surprised he would be to actually receive the finished sweater. So I put some concentrated effort into it, and re-figured the sleeve charts to get the size I needed, and began knitting two sleeves roughly 10 days ago. (When did I last post? it was after that). If you're on Ravelry, check here for the backstory on this yarn. It's not something I can post in the totally public forum of this blog.
I present Kilkenny for Mark

CarrieK I nominate you for the Kreative Blogger award!
Go back a blog post or two and pull that graphic down and go paste it on your blog. You do too deserve it. oh, and that's another blog post idea that I've got to follow up on. The Feb poetry month blog post. I've even found the poem. Thanks my friend for just being there. And for following even when I've gone off on tangents that totally don't interest you at all. You, my friend, have a great and interesting blog.

the knitting and finishing the UFO's

2009-02-04T07:00:00.002-06:00

Notice the Cherries?

Yarn Blue Sky alpaca silk in Ruby. Love this yarn!! Love it.

The pattern is a free download from SMarieK Knits. Check out her lovely selection of scarf patterns. I found the pattern easy to follow and well put together.
"Easy to Follow" is a relative term. The pattern had a 28 row repeat with patterning stitches on both front and back, so there was no relaxing with this one, no chatting while knitting, no paying attention to TV. Still, I cast on Jan 2, 2009 and finished it, seamed the CB together, blocked it and still wore it before the end of January. That, for me folks, is a first.
I really mean it that I'm getting out of the habit of having a million-ty projects going at once..

Two weeks ago I also finished knitting Dickinson, and this week (Sunday) I put the final stitches into the Drops cardi second sleeve. I know you're sick of seeing these photos...I'm putting them up here as a nice little reminder to me to Finish the suckers.

All are finished knitting and ready for blocking/seaming/neckbands if necessary. That is all on the agenda for February. Get these projects seamed and finished. Feel free to harass me. email me, ask to see finished photos.

Left on the needles - that most boring of projects, the modern log cabin blanket only in garter stitch.

And Kilkenny for Mark.

So in the last couple of days I've been playing around with casting on an Alice Starmore Aran for me. Something that has been on my "want to make" list for a long long time.

The stash, we've talked about the stash, right?
Right.
I'm determined/obligated to use yarn I've already purchased. So why is it that I don't have an appropriate traditional 2 or 3 ply worsted or aran weight yarn in sufficient quantity in my (very Prodigious) stash? I don't know, but I don't.

I have sufficient quantity in the correct weight of Karabella's Aurora 8 in red. Lovely yarn. Very soft. Lovely to wear. Not the right stuff for an AS aran.

But I'm going to "make it work".
so I cast on for Irish Moss and knit one skein's worth

And then ripped it out.
It's just the wrong yarn.
Not getting the right message though, I went through the books again and again, until I landed on the tunic version of Little Rivers - has a picot edge instead of ribbing at the hem.
Again, I've knit one skein's worth on this sweater.

The texture is just wrong. The tension is too tight. The resulting fabric feels spongy and sproingy, rather than supple.
This yarn needs to breathe.

This yarn needs to be knit into something like the B&B pullover , or the Anthropologie knockoff Truffle that dullegriet just made, or Bonnie by Fiona Ellis (Twist Collective).

It'll probably be the B&B pullover - I've had it in my queue for several years, and it will go equally well over a pair of jeans while on the boat as anything else.
Sigh, I just loved knitting that Little Rivers pattern. Easily memorized after the first few rows.
I need to sell off some of the yarn that I have in order to buy what I want.

from the Interweave Knits page where this pattern is available for download for $5 if you don't have the old magazine issue. (I do)

Caution to those who go about stash building: be sure you aren't going to change your mind on what you want to knit.

Sayin' Hi and responding finally to that award

2009-02-03T18:12:00.004-06:00

First of all, I have to thank, from the bottom of my heart, Cennetta, Barbara and Mardel, each of whom nominated me for the latest of the blogger awards to make the circuit. Especially since I've been a negligent blogger lately, at best.
Like Carolyn, I too have been one of those who've watched the blog awards circle around and have been among the last to rec'v one, which makes one feel a bit like the kid standing on the side of the field waiting to get picked (last) for the team.
I don't know who starts these blog awards, but they do seem to make the rounds every once in awhile. And of course, everyone has to get one.
And I'm just as thrilled as the next person to finally get picked for the team.

Seems kind of silly, no?
I'm supposed to pass it along. Well, if there is someone out there who hasn't been nominated yet, let me know, ok?
Meanwhile:
My congratulations go to Shannon of Hungry Zombie Couture, who lately received a blog award that is truly meaningful. She placed in the top 5 in the 2008 Canadian Blog awards. And she was up with some truly awesome competition - the likes of The Yarn Harlot for criminey sake! Whew!
I'd like to nominate Summerset for this blogger award too.
- Because her blog is one that truly is deserving of all the awards out there. Summerset's work is phenomenal - I've seen her work, in person. And she is meticulous about documenting the process, and shares her knowledge and her creative process Every Single Day. Who else can say that? We blog readers are truly privileged to be admitted into the creative process of Summerset's mind. And I haven't seen this award show up on Summerset's blog. Which is either a function of the fact that I'm as guilty of negligent blog reading as I have been negligent of posting lately - or else that Summerset has been overlooked in the latest round of blog award because everyone Assumes that she'll have received this award first go-round.

There are so many out there doing wonderful things with blogs that make me WANT to check in. Toby Wollin 's Kitchen Counter Economics is the latest. Thanks much to Cidell for pointing this out.
And thank-you to Toby for being Real. If you haven't read this - go now. (then come back, ok?)

Next up, the knitting.

Tomorrow, if I can get the post written.
Tonight, it's my anniversary. dh and I have been married 8 years, today.

oh,
I just won a Bond Knitting Machine on ebay. Am I nuts? Probably.
But, Alexandra and MaryBeth, I'm going to be looking for help soon, I just know it. (MB, I'm very worried for you and your business with this nonsense about the lead-free legislation taking effect this month.)

The Stash

2009-01-12T18:53:00.003-06:00

Ruminations:
I read an amazing post this week by a woman named Liz, over on Crossroads Knits. Since I can't seem to link to it, if it isn't on top, scroll down to the post named Resolved.
It's equally applicable, whether you sew, knit, or create with fiber in any way, so all my sewing friends who've just tuned out, you can tune back in.

It got me to thinking. I've been experiencing a paradigm shift in my attitude lately.

It's a new year. That time when we all resolve to finish our ongoing projects, to shop our own stash (be it fabric, yarn or whatever). I feel a bit like Oprah; I read last week in a rag mag that Oprah said "I can't believe I'm sitting here talking about weight again" (yeah, that too....)

I can't believe I'm talking about finishing up the UFO's... (and Carolyn's talking about not buying more fabric....and hell is about to freeze over. LOL)

But somehow I'm feeling as if I've undergone a sea change in my approach to my projects.
I want to finish up what's in the hopper. I want to limit my production, and finish what's on the table before casting on / cutting out.

Which brings me to the topic of the stash.
Most everyone who sews or knits accumulates stash. It's that difference between what we want to accomplish and buy the materials for, and what we really have time to make. Amazingly, some people actually start out deliberately to build a stash! It's as if they've read about so much stash that they feel it's a necessary accoutrement.

At some point most people who've developed a stash vow to use it first, to use it up, to not add to it.
And at the new year, prompted by Stash contests and KAL's, people get into "stash busting" projects.

I confess, I'm baffled by Stash Busting.
Sewing up the stash I understand. Using what is in inventory instead of buying new, sure.
Knitting with yarn already purchased before hitting the *Buy* button on the internet or venturing out to the LYS; that I get.

But what is with "stash busting" projects. That I don't get at all.
I read about people making pet blankets using yarn double stranded in order to use more of it...of people sewing up projects that use a lot of fabric just to run up the numbers. People choosing projects based upon the amount of yardage a project will consume rather than by the desirability of the finished item.

What is with that?
I mean, if you bought the yarn in the first place, isn't it yarn you love? If you don't love it anymore, why bother knitting it up in "stash busting" projects. Isn't the time involved in knitting a project at least as important as the materials that go into it?

I understand the concept of a stash Sewing contest that prompts you to use fabric that is aging in your closet - fabric you may consider "the good stuff" that you've been reluctant to cut into. Maybe you need the prompt to go ahead and Use it.

But what I don't understand is the desire to use it just for the sake of Using it.
Do you get it?

Regarding the size of the stash:
Maybe it's the economy. Maybe it's the end of the era of conspicuous consumption. I hope so.

Personally, I really really don't feel the need to add to either my fabric or my yarn stash. I also don't feel the need to use it just to use it.

I finally just got my yarn stash totally cataloged. Yup, I've got more than I need. And if I had it to do now, there are more than a few yarns I would not own.
But, I've got 30 (yeah, count 'em, 30) major sweater projects stashed that I'd really still like to make. Here's to hoping that I get them made before I no longer want to make them.
If you're on Ravelry you can see the awful awesomeness of my stash, catalogued. If you're not, you're spared that experience. But it's all there.
I'd like to do it for my fabric too, but it's not happening, because there just isnt' a reason yet.

What I'm working on right now - that Dickinson pullover from the last post - I'm on the top of the second raglan sleeve; The Marijke scarf using stashed Blue Sky alpaca silk yarn (I'm halfway done with that), and the black Drops cardi that I'm going to finish even though it won't fit me (there's that weight thing again).

What else I'm working on: The cashmere jacket that just doesn't want to get finished. And the class samples.
oh, and a few pair of pants that'll actually make the circumference of my butt.

I do indeed need to get moving too.

So, do you get this whole Stash busting thing?
How do you feel about your stash?

Plugging In again

2009-01-08T11:18:00.004-06:00

Hello! and Happy New Year.

I've been off-line a bit longer than I intended.

I'll let you in on a secret. I'm a bit burned out on the sewing. I needed/need a break from it.
The Great Coat Sewalong really took a lot of energy, (I know, I signed on for it), and the wedding sewing and formalwear sewing did, and I just need a break.
There is so much on the "must do" list that it's feeling like a chore. Ya know?

So, Since I posted last I've gotten out the knitting. In part because I've had a lot of car-time.
For Thanksgiving we drove to S Carolina - 30+ hours in the car, and I only drove about 1/3 of it. The rest I spent working on my Dickinson pullover.I finished knitting the front in the car. Since then I've worked on the sleeves. Last night at knitting group I finished one of the sleeves, only to discover this AM that it's too long and too wide at the top, so I'm going to rip back down to before the beginning of the raglan shaping and
start the raglan shaping sooner and decrease at a sharper angle. It won't take long. Fortunately just after I took that picture I separated the sleeves (I had been knitting two at the same time on one needle) so I only have to reknit the top on one. I should have this sweater ready to wear with my teal plaid pants by Jan 30 when we go up to Chicago.

I also made a trip up to Rockford IL and then over to Davenport IA to see each kid, and spent a bit of time in The Yarn Shoppe in Davenport where I got started on hats for Mark and Megan. I finished both in time for Christmas giving. I added a ribbed cuff to the double knit hat for Mark.

Then I came home and started finishing mittens that had been languishing.
Karen's needed thumbs:

Megan liked the Sea Mineral mittens and her hands fit the small one so I knit the mate and added thumbs and those are finished

and I picked up this pair that I'd only knit one cuff on and finished knitting the mittens from the chart I'd made up a year ago. I'm naming these Celebration in honor of my friend Sharron, ~~who's in Colorado now with her daughter.~~
Edit to say that My dear friend Sharron lost her long battle with cancer this past Saturday. She was a wonderful, fun lady who will be missed. These mittens are in honor of Sharron, in some of her favorite colors.

Then I knit the mate to the one that I'm calling Violet Prism and decided that I'm keeping this pair for myself.

In the vein of knitting for myself, I've started one project this year. January 4th I cast on Marijke using size 4 needles and the Blue Sky alpaca/silk that I had in stash in the ruby color.
I realized when dh and I went to Saugatauk MI for New Years that I don't have a single scarf that I've knit. I've given away all of them. Time to rectify that.
in the way of all lace knitting this will look infinitely better when blocked.
I could have chosen an easy pattern, but nope. This one has a 28 row repeat and is patterned on both sides. No return purl rows to relax on. But I'm loving it. Cherries!!

This week I also got an email from dvmCindy from PR. She's just starting the drops cardi that I've let languish, and she got me motivated to get that out of hibernation.

So right now I've got 3 projects I'm working on.
1. The Dickinson pullover which I can work on in company or while watching TV because the pattern is easily memorized.
2. The Drops Cardi where I'm on the stockinette part of sleeve 2 - totally mindless knitting
3. the Marijke scarf which is complex and requires every bit of my concentration.

Plans are to have the scarf and Dickinson finished before Jan 29 to take to Chicago when we attend Strictly Sail. It gets cold walking down to Navy Pier.

2009 is my year to knit and sew for myself.

I look forward to catching up with all of my blog friends in the next couple of weeks. I have some sewing to do, but not much to talk about.

Re The Great Coat Sewalong: I've got to do some arranging and editing of the blog - not much but it will take a bit of time, then I'm opening it for public viewing. Give me until Jan 15, ok?

Unplugged

2008-12-16T07:56:00.002-06:00

Just a quick note to let you know everything is good here, that the lack of activity on this blog, on Pattern Review, on Stitchers Guild and on the comment sections of your blogs is due to the fact that I've been unplugged for almost 2 weeks.
Great things are being accomplished during my offline time, and I'll be back with a (partial) report after the dawn of 2009.

Have a Very Merry Christmas
Happy Hanukkah,
Joyeux Noel,
Happy Holiday,
and
Happy New Year.

with gratitude for your friendship,
Marji

Creating Mini-Capsules: Teal/Burgundy

2008-11-24T10:24:00.005-06:00

The jacket, in the same state it was in when I abandoned it to work on the clothes for the wedding. Goal is to have it finished by Dec 1.
The lining for the jacket is a Vietnamese silk that has the teal color in it that is in the rest of this grouping.

the start of the front of Interweave Knits "Dickinson" pullover. Yarn, Debbie Bliss alpaca/silk
Goal to have this finished: Dec 1. I can do it. It's a fast knit and I've got car time coming up.

The fabric for the pants, showing another yarn that I have to go with the fabric. This is vintage stash. I'm thinking this gorgeous piece of wool dates to the 1980's. The yarn does too. I remember buying it at Fran Kirklands in Grosse Pointe to go with this piece of fabric, and I left Grosse Pointe in 1990, and Fran's had already been closed for a year or two.
Some time back I started a sweater that had a diagonal ribbing that was sprinkled with popcorns. I must have been out of my mind.
I've kept it all these years just to remind myself not to be that crazy. The yarn is a mohair blend and in reality is quite itchy, so I don't know what I'll do with it. Maybe I should just make a scarf to wear with this with the jacket.
The pants, Burda 7718, fully lined with an acetate twill that I picked up at Van Fabrics in Boston a couple of years ago.

in need of buttons and buttonholes on contour waisband and buttons for tabs; and hems. Estimated finish date - tomorrow.
It's so hard to photograph the plaid, but it has gold/burgundy and a lighter teal in there, and goes with a lot of fabrics. It's just perfect for the jacket.

The fit on the pants, I'm happy! Will get my handy cameraman to take pics Dec 2 or 3 when all this is done and I can put it on.

In addition, I have a piece of silk left over from the MOG project that will be fabulous for a blouse. And I have a piece of wool gab in raisin that will be another pair of pants. And several knits that would work for tops.
I plan to have at least one top/blouse made up for this group. Goal date: Dec 15.

Not lost, and I haven't fallen in,

2008-11-15T10:56:00.007-06:00

My sewing mojo is slightly intact, however my blogging mojo has just deserted me for a bit.

Anyway, I was just about to write out this on Pattern Review for Sondra, who lives across the state from me, when I thought that instead I could put it here. This way at least I'll know where to find it when someone asks again.
So, I bring you a boring tutorial, and not much else in the way of blog content.

Changing an armhole princess seam to a shoulder princess seam.

The Front:
Before starting, cut all seam allowances away from your pattern. You need to match seamlines, not seam allowance lines. You'll need to remember to add your seam allowances back on after finishing your refashioning.

Choose a point on the shoulder that you want your princess seam to terminate. This may be the center of the shoulder, it may be as close to the armscye as 1" away. It should be at a place where the vertical seams will be pleasing on both the front and the back.

Draw a line from the bust point to the shoulder, shown here in red.
Cut along that line, and rotate it to the side front.
I was working here with scaled up drawings from a layout, you'll notice that the armscye doesn't quite match up. In reality, the same treatment that is shown below for the back piece will probably be necessary for the front. Read on.

The Back
Mark the same place on the shoulder as the front- it is important that the princess seams line up.
This is Sondra's back pattern, that she's trying to convert to a shoulder princess seam.
Notice that the way she's got these put together to photograph that the underarm seamlines line up, but the notches along the sidefront seam do not.
This is what I wrote to Sondra earlier:

Shaping with Princess seam is created by easing one longer seam into the shorter one.
On the front, where you're used to seeing that side front curve away drastically from the CF piece, the side front seamline is actually longer, and it is a combination of stitching the inside curve to the outside curve, and easing in the extra fabric along the outside curve, that gives you the room you need for the rounder parts underneath.

On the back, you can easily see by the fact that the notches aren't matching up here, that your side back between the notch and the underarm is longer than the CB piece.
That length does need to be there to allow for the ease - it's not a 1x1 correspondence or else you'd just be able to take a flat piece of fabric and draw curved lines on them, cut them apart, then sew back together. There isn't much curve to the back due to body shaping, but some ease is still desirable for shaping over the shoulderblades.
So, what you're going to have to do is cut the back apart in a way to transfer the length to the vertical seam.

1. Draw your new princess line.

2. Cut apart the back along the new seamline. Make sure that the notch mark is still clearly visible on the Center back section.

3. Match the notches of the piece you cut away and the side front, and tape together.
Draw a line from the side back either where the new section starts to curve away from original side back, or at a point just below the shoulder blade if the curve isn't evident.

4. Cut along that line and move the top of the new side back section up so that your armscye seamlines match.
(Sondra's armscye has a v weird shape here, almost as if that seam allowance hadn't been cut off. In reality that line should be a smooth curve. Sondra, did you not cut off the seam allowances on both the side back seams and the armscye?)

Meanwhile I'm back in the sewing room when I'm not working. Hopefully soon I'll have a load of garments to show off.

Moving on...

2008-10-28T14:15:00.003-05:00

I will get to the review of making the MOG dress, the coat (that didn't get worn because it was raining, and rain doesn't play well with silk velvet) and the brides jacket.
And I'll get back with commentary and hopefully pics of the MOB suit I'm making now.

But, moving forward, the question has been asked, am I going to sew for SWAP this year.

I don't know. I seriously need clothes that both fit me now and are suitable for work. I'm working in a pretty high end interior design shop, selling the window treatment fabrics and workroom services. There are a couple of ASID designers working there, as well as several of us more lowly types. Very chic shop, chic clientele, high end stuff...and looking "designer" is the name of the dressing game there.
The clothes that I own that fit that description are all too small for me at the moment, so the dictate Sew for the body you have Now is a great rule.

However, I'm struggling with the separates issue, and the 11 garments. I really want/need more dresses in my closet. SWAP rules this year don't allow for dresses, unless they can be worn over a shirt or pants. I'm too old to be wearing dresses over jeans. That is a college coed look, IMO.
Ditto with jumpers.
And, I want to sew with the fabrics that I currently own - sew up the stash!
I have capsules of fabric that will make fabulous mini-wardrobes, but I don't know about 11 coordinated separates without having to add to the stash. Especially since those I do have all have pieces designated for dresses.

So, the answer is, probably not.
Contest sewing is fun. But I need to worry more about what I need to actually get dressed every AM than about meeting a set of rules.

So what about you? Are you sewing SWAP? If not, then why not?

They're married

2008-10-27T08:45:00.005-05:00

And I never even put a camera in my hand. So the pics I have are collected from those my dear husband took as well as some my brother took. Hopefully I'll add to the collection in the next few days.
These are a few of my favorites, there are more pictures here on flickr

First up, since I know that most everyone who reads this blog is interested in the sewing and the Dress! the above pic is the composite that I'll use in the review on Pattern Review.

Ashlee and Daniel
Mark and Megan dancing

Daniel and I
Mark, Daniel and I at the church
Mom and her husband Richard

I'm writing this in an internet cafe.
This week I'm staying up in Traverse City to sew (big surprise), I'll be making the suit for my BFF Jacquie to wear as the Mother of the Bride in January.
I'll get back to catching up with blogging and reading blogs when I get home, next week.

Meanwhile, thank you for looking.

bbbb...bye

2008-10-20T07:18:00.004-05:00

OK, I'm off Dancing...

My dress is done except for handstitching the hem. The brides velvet jacket is done, unless I decide to add some beaded embellishment between now and Saturday, I reserve that right.
And my velvet coat....may or may not make it.

As soon as I finish packing the car I'm outa here.

See you in November.

a moment out of time

2008-10-17T18:54:00.002-05:00

are-you-a-jackie-or-a-marilyn-or-someone-else-

too dang funny:

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...You Are a Katharine!

You are a Katharine -- "I am happy and open to new things"

Katharines are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.

How to Get Along with Me

* Give me companionship, affection, and freedom.

* Engage with me in stimulating conversation and laughter.

* Appreciate my grand visions and listen to my stories.

* Don't try to change my style. Accept me the way I am.

* Be responsible for youself. I dislike clingy or needy people.

* Don't tell me what to do.

What I Like About Being a Katharine

* being optimistic and not letting life's troubles get me down

* being spontaneous and free-spirited

* being outspoken and outrageous. It's part of the fun.

* being generous and trying to make the world a better place

* having the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures

* having such varied interests and abilities

What's Hard About Being a Katharine

* not having enough time to do all the things I want

* not completing things I start

* not being able to profit from the benefits that come from specializing; not making a commitment to a career

* having a tendency to be ungrounded; getting lost in plans or fantasies

* feeling confined when I'm in a one-to-one relationship

Katharines as Children Often

* are action oriented and adventuresome

* drum up excitement

* prefer being with other children to being alone

* finesse their way around adults

* dream of the freedom they'll have when they grow up

Katharines as Parents

* are often enthusiastic and generous

* want their children to be exposed to many adventures in life

* may be too busy with their own activities to be attentive

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Progress

2008-10-06T09:11:00.003-05:00

It's coming along. Needs shoulder pads and sleeve heads, hemming, topstitching, buttonholes and belts (yes, belts - the sleeves are "belted". I need to either find belt buckles or send my belts to CA to get them made, ASAP). Oh, and the rest of the lining needs to be stitched in. I should be able to wear this while in TC at the end of the month.

Meanwhile, yesterday I graded out the MOG dress pattern (of course it's vintage and so the size isn't right), and got the prelim muslin made.
There were some surprises. The front of the skirt has pleated tucks emanating diagonally from the CF seam. Who knew? The illustration on the pattern envelope focuses on the back, and the front is not really visible, except in a black drawing, and there are no line drawings.

my front pattern piece - sorry, it's hard to photograph tissue tracing paper.

the instruction sheet.

I haven't muslined the skirt. I was playing with the bodice. I'm really considering just putting the front on the fold and eliminating that pleat business. I don't really think I need emphasis on the bit of tummy that I'm wearing industrial strength Spanx to try to control. :)
The bodice CF also has an unnecessary (In my eyes) seam too - which I've eliminated by placing it on the fold. Since the CF is on the straight of grain, both in the skirt and the bodice, what would be the point of a CF seam? Especially in this solid color silk.
I've got to still work a bit on the whole underarm / sleeve portion

Choice made - Song

2008-10-05T16:56:00.004-05:00

I've been needing to turn in my choice for song for the mother/groom dance for the wedding.

Finally,

You'll Be Blessed, a song I used to dance around the living room with my babies on my hips with, and sing to them.

I'm going to cry, I know it.

Second choice:
have a listen (and look)
I Hope You Dance

Starting the Mother of the Groom ensemble

2008-10-03T11:13:00.000-05:00

ok, In addition to trying to finish up this jacket and make the pants that go with it - since I really want to have it to take with me when I go north Oct 18, I'm starting my muslin today for my mother of the groom dress. Why did I leave it so late? Because I planned to lose weight.
Planned is the operative word here. In reality, I'm only down 10 lbs. Not enough, but it's too late now to lament the fact.
I just talked with Cidell, and in the conversation finally counted days til I leave - 15.
Sewing I need to have done before I go:

Ashlee's velvet jacket for over the wedding gown - muslin made, jacket construction will be easy
My dress
My coat/wrap/something
hopefully this burgundy wool Guy Laroche jacket I've been working on
a pair of pants to go with the burgundy jacket.

Did I mention that of those 15 days before I leave, I have to work 6 of them. Looks like I need to burn some midnight oil.
I will be blogging progress. It's the accountability, you know?

The dress decision is made, the fabric acquired, and approval from the bride and MOB obtained.

Evadress Pattern 4057

I'll post pics of my fabrics this weekend. Right now they're tightly wound on tubes.

I'm also planning on making a wrap/coat of some type from some silk velvet I had on hand, that happens to exactly match the silks for my dress.
I just picked up the Folkwear patterns for the cocoon coats, but still also have these two patterns in mind. I need to make a decision before the weekend is over.

Option 1

EvaDress pattern 1965

Option 2.

Decades of Style Parisienne coat

Option 3.
The Poiret Cocoon that's just been re-issued
And, just looking at it now, I'm realizing that the narrow hem of this cocoon coat and the A-line flared hem of the dress are totally incompatible.

Option 4.
The sunrise Cocoon from Folkware -
View B is waist length, so this might still be an option.

New Vogue Patterns are Up

2008-10-01T08:12:00.004-05:00

Collar
First, I have been making slow progress on my Jacket V2922
Collar and belt carriers
Below: inside of jacket.

Secondly, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to my query about classes.
I've submitted a proposal list, and next week will have a discussion with the class coordinator to see what she actually will put in the newsletter and on the schedule.
The demographics are likely very similar to the store where I taught last. EFF is no longer there, and this store is only 10 miles distant from the old EFF location. Who will take these classes? Over 50, empty nesters who've left garment sewing and want to get back into it. And a Very FEW younger women, no children yet, who are catching the crafting craze or have fit issues themselves and want to learn. At EFF, One of my favorite students was a woman in her late 20's who was 6'1" and very fit. She wanted to make clothes that would fit her tall frame.
Another was a private student I had who was a beautifully put-together professional woman who wears a 4x. She wanted to reproduce the Escandar looks she'd been buying at Neimans and Saks.
Based on previous experience then, and the class coordinators statement "we don't have as much call for garment sewing classes anymore" I can safely say that technique classes won't fly. As many times as we tried to offer them at EFF, no one wants to sit down and make a swatch book and learn fine sewing techniques around here. At least not enough to take a class to do it.
Everyone wants to walk out with a project they can wear. The exception to this is fitting. There is a tremendous cry for fitting. I used to add a week to my class and try to accomplish fitting within the context of the project. I'm now going to try it the way I listed, and see if it's more effective. And make the fitting class a prereq to a garment class if fitting is a major concern.
to answer the other questions:

all the fabric and materials should be purchased on site from the store hosting the classes
I will have samples made up for every class on display prior to class registration time - it's a requirement
I'm not going to teach sewing with ultrasuede - I've never used it! And, they have people to teach craft projects, I'm being added on to teach garment sewing.

New Vogue patterns are up!
See the whole offering here
It seems it's a fairly subdued offering,
or maybe it's the mood I'm in. I'll probably be
picking this up to make up late this fall, towards December.

This dress reminds me a lot of the
Roland Mouret dresses,
and it's a silhouette I like a lot.
Notice the darts sewn on the right side (public side) of the garment.
Note to self: get back to the gym!

Another body conscious look -
this is a Betzina design.

Help...Input please. Deadline approaches

2008-09-27T10:11:00.006-05:00

Oh my, how did it get to be the end of September already?

I'm looking for input.
I'm slated to start as a teacher at an independent fabric store here in January. This place is organized, has a classroom with machines, and right now doesn't have anyone devoted to teaching garment sewing, so most of their classes revolve around quilting and craft projects.

I need to submit a class proposal list, which they will then decide what fits into the schedule and put in the newsletter to try to fill the classes. I can decide my max # students per class, which depending on the subject and the necessity for machines, can be anywhere from 6 - 12.
So, I need to come up with a few class ideas that I think will go.
Oh, this is for the class session beginning in January, ending in May.

So, since I can't teach all the ideas, and I want to choose the ones that are most likely to fill, I'm looking for input.
If you had a nice indy fabric store offering classes which would you be likely to sign up for - keeping in mind that the class price for a class is $85- $100.

Make your Daughter's or Your Own Prom Dress:
One 5 hour Saturday session, then three 2hr evening sessions, beginning in March. Recipient of the dress must be available for measuring/fitting for first hour and last hour of the Saturday, and for session 3 or 4 for final fitting.
You may choose your own formalwear pattern. Learn formalwear techniques such as inserting boning and working with slippery or satiny fabrics.

Sew Project Runway
Learn to decipher Simplicity's new "Project Runway" pattern line while making a project that is truly Your Own. Choose any dress pattern from the Project Runway collection by Simplicity and we'll go through choosing the elements you want, figuring yardage, layout and construction order so that you end up with your own Personal Creation.

Fitting the Bodice
Two 3 hour sessions devoted to learning flat pattern alterations to fit the bodice. Fitting will be done on a fitting pattern, you'll make a muslin to test the fit, and then we'll talk about how to incorporate your fitting changes into every pattern you make.

Fitting Pants
Two 3 hour sessions devoted to learning flat pattern alteration to fit a pant pattern. Fitting will be done on a basic pant pattern, you'll make a muslin to test the fit, and then we'll talk about how to incorporate your fitting changes into every pattern you make.

Make Your own Jeans
Using either the Palmer Pletsch pattern (McCalls 5142) or the Sandra Betzina Pattern (Vogue 1034) learn the secrets to constructing "better than store bought" jeans, for a fraction of what the RTW jeans are selling for. We'll be covering inserting a fly front zipper, pocket construction, flat fell seams and perfect topstitching.
6 weeks, evenings
*Note: If fitting is a concern please take the Fitting Pants class as a prerequisite OR call and arrange a private lesson fitting session with the instructor prior to the first class session.

Make this years fashion Must-Have, The Perfect White Shirt
Choose a white (or not white!) woven fabric and make your own White shirt, including perfect collar, sleeve placket, correct button placement and buttonholes.
Threads Collection Simplicity 3684

_________________
Which of these, any of these sound to you like classes that you would be interested in taking.
Is there a great need for a garment sewing class that I'm missing?
They have a great staff already teaching all sorts of craft items, including handbags. Sewing for kids and teens are reserved for the summer program, so it's only adult classes in the January-May session.
Thanks for your input.
I need to get them a proposal list Monday.

Thank you's to the first two commenters, Miriam and Toby. Which also brings up the clarification: The woman who organizes the classes teaches the basic beginner class, which is fine by me. They're looking for someone to pick up classes that are intermediate or higher level.
And, this store doesn't carry knits. In fact, They've gone over to more than half their fabric inventory being quilting cottons.
They carry the poly satins, which will be great for prom dresses, a fair to middlin' selection of silks and laces, some poly and rayon suitings, a great selection of ultrasuede, and a nice selection of woven cottons - the Spechler Vogel stuff in particular. There is another store in town that specializes in knits and teaches sewing with knits all year long, and I don't want to encroach on their territory. They do it better than me anyway.

Pattern Bingeing

2008-09-25T20:29:00.002-05:00

Just to confirm my scattered-ness, as I'm trying to wrap up projects and clean house, in a weak moment, prompted by a message I saw in the comments on Brooke's blog Because I Said Sew, I went on a pattern buying binge. Here's what I got.

The impetus for the whole slippery downhill slide:
Folkwear is re-issuing the Poiret Cocoon Coat. It's not even on their website yet, but I called, AND the patterns just arrived, so I whipped out the trusty Debit CC and bought it, (no pic yet) along with
the Sunburst Cocoon Coat
I plan to make one of them as the coat to wear over my Mother-of the Groom dress next month, where it might be cool enough to warrant some time of cover-up. Weather at the end of October in Traverse City might be fabulous and 60, or it might be sleeting and cold.
Nikki and Annika have made each of these coats and the reviewed the patterns on Pattern Review.

I also picked up the Claire McCardel inspired
Town and Country Dress.
This is a pattern they've been out of for quite some time - well, they just found a box and have a Few for sale. If you love it, I'm happy to enable and say "get it while the getting is good".

And, while at Folkwear, I saw this one,
which may interest someone out there
(insert wink and a grin icon - you know who you are!)
The pattern is #238, "le smoking jacket" for both men and women.

Now I just need to wait for the shipping moratorium on Marfy Patterns and I have 3 of those to order. Either that, or I should just bite the bullet and pay the shipping. These are patterns I Really want, and they're not on the Vogue website.

progress., and an inventory

2008-09-24T20:36:00.005-05:00

I spent all day working on this jacket, which is the project I'm working on for the coat-sewalong right now.

fused stay tape at pocket edge

attaching wigan at hemline - stitched to side seams and hand stitched with running stitch along fold line. Still needs to be pressed to fit shape of hem.

pad stitching. Shaping is achieved by stitching the lines while holding the lapel curved over the hand, and taking small "bites" of a stitch that doesn't go all the way through the fashion fabric. As each row is stitched, the next line is moved to roll over the top of the hand underneath.

I've got the body put together, have started putting together the lining, have assembled the sleeves, and have started assembling the asides - such as the epaulettes, the belt carriers, etc.

To see a 12 minute video of the technique for these hand stitches involved in tailoring see this YouTube video from Otis college on Tailoring techniques. The pad stitching is shown in the last 30 seconds - and I've found if you are in a hurry to get there you can move the play icon forward with your mouse.

Meanwhile, to start an inventory of the UFO's that I hope/intend to finish this fall:
I have 2 coats and 4 jackets under construction - oops, just remembered another jacket.

Begun in January 07 for the RTW knockoff challenge on PR - then ran out of time...and set it aside. I'd love to pull it out and finish it to wear this fall.

A coat I started, and neglected to underline. After basting together the outer shell and realizing it needed to come apart and be underlined, I set it aside... The big portrait collar is of velvet.

A coat I cut and started in v late winter '05. It gets warm here so much earlier than I'd been accustomed to, and I set it aside, then buried it in a drawer...and forgot about it.

Cut this jacket out 3 weeks ago. I need some clothes to wear to work. ASAP
This is a cotton with a navy print - and it's not going to be lined.

Started back in '06 when teaching a class in the french collarless jacket. Pieces are cut, fused, some assembly done.

Finished flying objects and a backlog of UFO's

2008-09-21T13:28:00.003-05:00

Finished, Soleil, knit in

Needle and yarn

Needle

US 5 / 3.75 mm

Yarn

Lanas Margarita mercurio

Stash

784.0 yards in stash

How much?

8 skeins = 784.0 yards (716.9m)

Colorway

silver

note: you do not need to read this, This is my rambling to Me to read and re-read whenever I feel like going on a starting binge, and when I want to remember my goals.

I've been having my September guilt associated with the mound of works-in-progress in my fiber studio (how's that for a fancy name for my dungeon?)
Somehow September always feels to me to be the beginning of the year. You know, end of summer vacay, "back to school", etc. and it's always the time that I feel more inclined to start out with a clean slate, and make new resolutions and set new goals. Somehow, in the dead of winter, it's hard to focus on a fresh start - much easier in September.

So, a little less than a year ago, I set some goals for myself - one was to sew more for others. Well, time to revise that one - Time to sew for myself. That goal was well-met. I have some more things to make for my sister, for the girls, and have 2 more committed projects yet this fall.

One - a velvet shrug or short jacket to wear over the wedding gown for my soon-to-be daughter-in-law.
Two - a Mother of the Bride dress and jacket ensemble for my BFF, Jacquie, whose daughter is getting married in January in Traverse City. We've chosen the fabric, and have it along with the underlining, lining and other "stuff", as well as a design concept. I'll be staying with her again the week before my own son's wedding, and will start on her dress the day after his wedding. I'll stay up there as long as it takes to finish her ensemble - I'm thinking 5 days.

But overall, I need some clothes, for me, ASAP.

And a little less than a year ago, I set the goal to sew up more of my UFO's, more importantly, not Create any more...and also reduce my stash.
Well, in the last few days, in the little time I've had to devote to sewing, I've stood in the middle of my sewing area and turned around and just felt totally overwhelmed. Totally!
Yesterday, while working on my jacket (pics coming up shortly), I had this harebrained idea that I should start entering all my UFO sewing projects as WIP's (the grey review) on Pattern Review. Ouch. That thought hurts.
Since I let Saashka down there, after swearing her to secrecy about how awful it really is, why on earth would I think to put them out there as projects partially reviewed? Then I remembered that there is a 'Hide' function on PR. And yesterday, in conversation with Carolyn, I made the rash statement that by the end of this calendar year I'm going to have all my UFO's cleaned out - finished or Gone - almost doesn't matter, I just want them done. The weight of responsibility to finish all this stuff is overwhelming. I've finished maybe 10% of my UFO's so far this year. Abominable record. Don't know if I'll really spend the time to enter UFO's or not - probably better to spend the time actually Sewing them. ;)

I did enter all my WIP's on Ravelry for my knitting. And in truth, it's kept me from starting more - how embarrassing that would be. Meanwhile, I've got pics to show this week - a finished Soleil, see above, and an almost finished red cabled cotton cardi - just need to finish weaving in some ends and finish the seaming of the sleeves at the underarm. I finally, on the car trip to SC last weekend, got going on that yoke.The knitting is done now! yippee....

And between last night and this AM I've ripped and re-knit the sleeve cap on the first sleeve for the black alpaca/silk cardi from the Drops pattern, and I just started sleeve #2.

So, I've put it in writing....Time to rid my sewing room of the UFO's - except that I'm going to give myself a bit of leeway. There are two summer-y projects that I have in progress that hopefully will fit by next Spring. I'm not going to finish those until I'm within 10lbs of fit range.

2008-09-18T10:32:00.003-05:00

From Leanne's collection, Project Runway

Christopher Kane Spring 2009 RTW collection

Given that these collections were put together in the same time frame, it is unlikely one is derivative of the other, but the theme and similarities are remarkable.
The architectural lines are interesting, but I'm not certain they go beyond "interesting", to "wearable".
So what do you think, is this a look that will be seen on the streets?

Running around like a chicken without a head

2008-09-11T15:19:00.003-05:00

The Scaasi Dress

It's been finished and then unfinished. I had to take the darts in the front out. I'm going to have to make an appointment to get together with my friend Helen, the dressmaker, and have her re-pin my front.
I know the front was cut ongrain. But after the dress was on, it pulled something awful to the left. It had everything to do with the mounting of the underlining and the 4ply silk. I wish to God I'd basted it all together by hand before stitching it.
But I didn't.
So, I finally, after fussing and fussing, I removed the front darts and put it back on. Hangs perfectly, beautifully, straight. A little shapeless but straight.
What I'm going to do - stitch the darts in the 4ply only, and cut the dart fisheyes out of the organza, in the appropriate places, then catch stitch the organza to the dart on the wrong side.
I can't have this dress hanging wrong.
I did get the few things here fixed that needed fixing. And I repositioned the top of the zipper on the back so it's all good.

So, right now Helen is in England. When she gets back, I'll make a beeline for her house.

Meanwhile, I've put in some time on my Guy Laroche jacket project.
My own progress
I've decided, working on my burgundy wool/cashmere jacket, that bound buttonholes are not appropriate for this quasi-military style jacket that has epaulets/belt/sleeve tabs and is double breasted. So I was able to move right on to the interfacing for the front. My buttonholes will be made at the end of construction.

Because I'm not confident of my ability to get wonderfully perfect straight lines doing my padstitching, since I don't do it every week, I draw lines in pencil on my hair canvas. This is commonly accepted practice.
My pattern didn't have a roll line.
I neglected to mark it before I took the muslin apart (what was I not thinking?), So I chose to draw the roll line from the large dot.
Last night, while watching Project Runway I got the first lapel padstitched. Then I draped it on my front, with the collar piece, holding all together, and realized that I should have chosen the straight mark as opposed to the round one. So, I added 3 lines. If you click on the picture to make it larger you'll see the merge of the two angles. I could have been really AR and taken it all apart, but I didn't. It's fabric. It'll roll.

And now I've got to get ready to go away again this weekend. It's the weekend of the Georgia/South Carolina game - and since the girls are each attending one of those schools, we're going to Columbia SC for the game, in lieu of parent's weekend.
That means 26 hours in the car over the next 3 days, so I've got to get organized and packed.
I've got to figure out what project to take with me too.

I Do Not Want To Start ANything New!
repeat, with feeling.
So I'm going to go through unfinished projects and see what is appropriate for travel projects.
sigh.

And, when I get back, I'm going to acknowlege the new blog awards I've been nominated for (thank you) and pass along the love.

Links to Paco's fabulous tutorial

2008-09-11T07:19:00.001-05:00

Paco Peralta has written a very complete and fabulous tutorial on the technique for padstitching and shaping a Lapel and for The Great Coat Sewalong, and Tany has worked with Paco to do an English translation. Since that is a closed blog (will be open for viewing in about a month or so) he's also published the tutorial on his own blog in Spanish and on Tany's blog in Portugese and in English.
When clicking on Tany's blog you must check the box for the English translation AND uncheck the box for the Portugese, and it'll immediately switch over to English.
If you follow Paco's blog you know how exquisite his work is. I'm in awe of all the time and effort he put into the creation of this tutorial.

See Paco's tutorial here

See Paco's tutorial here, with Tany's English translation

The Scaasi Dress, Construction part 1

2008-09-06T08:00:00.006-05:00

Carolyn asked in an entry she wrote this week about how many steps you take to make a garment.
I won't go through all the steps here, but rather sort of document my process,
in part so that I can remember WHY these dresses take a week to make. ;)

1. I had this pattern in a size 18 - 22, so the first thing I needed to do was grade the pattern down. That size range may work for me on the bottom, but I need a pattern size 14 - 16 through the neck, shoulders and upper bodice. while doing this I moved the shoulder seam fwd by 3/8".
2. Make a full muslin. In this case, I used muslin for the bodice which will be constructed of lace too - the muslin is stiffer and more tightly woven, but I needed to see how the pattern was drafted. I was THRILLED with the fit, first time out on this muslin. Not a change to be made, except one fix at the underarm where my grading fell a bit short of perfection and the seams didn't match. I still consider this an essential step in both figuring out fit and style appropriateness.
3. Lay out lace, place pattern single layer, taking care for placement of embellishments. I chose to use the scallop edge for the back. A lace like this has no grainline but there is a definite directional aspect to the design. (see post from yesterday for picture of whole lace, the directional aspect is evident). My pieces are small enough that the whole of the pattern is lost, but I was still cognizant of it while laying out the pattern. Fortunately this pattern made good use of the piece I had, so there is very little lace leftover.
4. Cut out illusion (fine soft nylon netting typically sold for bridal veils). I'm using illusion to underlay the lace. Pictured here on black, so that it'll show. I'm having the hardest time working with this only because I can barely see it up against the lace.

5. Clean up seam allowances by taking the embellishments off the lace. Below is one of the back pieces after cleaning up.

The sequins were first stitched together along a cable - each one individual on another ply of the yarn, then the whole was attached as a line. It made it easy to remove whole elements however made it challenging to remove individual sequins along lines that terminated in a seam. Even cutting into a sequin and removing it from the line was a challenge.
6. Mount the lace bodice sections to the net illusion, Then individually tack the flower sections to the illusion.

6. Steam the silk 4ply to be used for the skirt.
4 ply, as well as any crepe will shrink due to the weave structure. Steaming it is a process.
7. Cut the silk skirt, the machine washed and dried silk organza for underlining the skirt, then the charmeuse for lining. Cut bias strips for finishing the seam allowances.
If I'd had silk crepe de chine on hand I would have preferred that for underlining the 4ply. However, I didn't have any, and I was really determined to make this all from stash. So I draped the 4ply over some machine washed silk organza and I was happy with the resulting fabric, so decided to use it.
8. Mark the underlining for the darts and match points, then mount the underlining to the 4ply.

OK....this process took all of 2 days plus some more of the 3rd, and I hadn't even started sewing anything yet.

More to come.

More on Semi-formalwear And Why it's Great to have Stash

2008-09-05T08:36:00.006-05:00

A week ago or so I wrote a post and asked your opinion on what I should make for myself for the weddings I had coming up. In the eventuality, for my brother-in-laws wedding, I ended up wearing something I'd make a year ago for SWAP, as I just ran out of time.
But, You all convinced me to go ahead with the Scaasi dress pattern.
I got the muslin made - and I was so incredibly pleased with the fit that I began re-thinking the fabric choice.
Because I wanted this dress to do double duty for last weekends wedding and the one tomorrow, I was trying to tone down the level of formality.
My fabric choice was this silk tafetta with an embellished net for the sheer.

Well, the wedding tomorrow is more formal. Since I'd only managed the muslin last week, I had time to change my mind. (woman's perogative, don't you know?)

This is why I love having a stash.
Saashka was here Tuesday, and for several hours all we did was wallow in my stash.
And after wallowing in it, after she had to leave to get on the road to Louisville KY, I was putting away fabrics, and rethinking my fabric choices.
I love the taffeta above, but then, I've got a LOT of fabrics I love.
and this brings me to why I LOVE my stash...At this point in time, in our lives with all these almost grown and grown children who're getting married or going to college, I'm not in the position to be buying these Incredible fabrics. Not to mention that they're getting exceedingly hard to find...not to mention that indy fabric stores that carry quality fabrics are dropping like flies - topic for another day. And while I lament the fact that I have such a stash that I'm afraid I won't be able to use it all, I love being able to go down and pull fabrics and have choices, and all of my choices are fabrics I loved enough to buy in the first place. So, I went stash diving.

The reasons to use the tafetta I'd chosen - I have it, and it would have been on the formal side but still acceptable for last weekends wedding.

The reasons to continue to save it: I have 5 yds of the plain taffeta, 1 1/2 yd of that same taffeta beaded, the net you see in the above pic, another lace that coordinates with it, and a crinkle silk (like the crinkle silks that Candlelight Valley still has a couple of- fabulous stuff). This means that I have enough to work with for another mother of the ___ or other serious formal event, and I've got 3 more kids who're going to be going through this. If I used some of it now, I'll be potentially limiting myself later.
I don't have lining, so it means I'd need to buy some fabric.
And, in that same color family, I have the fabric for one short, stand alone garment, complete with lace, silk 4ply, and charmeuse for lining.

So, in the spirit of using what I have, to fit the body I have now, I made the commitment to use this: This is one incredible piece of lace. I honestly don't remember where I got it, but it was either Stewart Fabrics back when Stewarts was on Maple in Birmingham and Ida Stewart was still around, OR it was from Stewart-Zacks in Traverse City, which was owned by her daughter Mary Zacks (who happened to live across the street from me up there).

And in the great tradition that so many others out there right now are following, of taking a project and making it yet more complex, (Carolyn comes to mind immediately, but many of us are doing it), I've created about twice the work for myself with this dress, just by changing my fabric choices.
I'll start posting construction notes later.

Blue self drafted dresses for the Labor Day Weekend wedding

2008-09-01T21:03:00.004-05:00

I finally finished Katies dress last week, however I didn't finish my own.
I will finish it this week and wear it to the wedding we're going to Saturday here in St Louis.
I ended up wearing the Chinese brocade skirt that I made last year for SWAP with a pink chiffon pleated (purchased) top that has been in my closet several years. It worked. Not what I wanted, but it was more important to get the girls dresses done and perfect.

I have to state that I sweat making Katie's dress. I fit the inner corselet to her that is the base for the bodice, way back last May. I draped the muslin for the skirt, then didn't like it, and draped another one when she was here for 3 days in July. But it's been my experience lately that there has been quite a bit of fitting to do after the muslin, once we're in fashion fabric.
I was so nervous, and finished then took apart and checked and re-checked and modified the blue dress numerous times.
And in the eventuality, I really feel that I've never done a finer job on any garment I've made than I just did on Katie's dress.

Construction-wise, it's as perfect a garment as I've ever made.

I used spiral steel boning in the inner corselet, and made the inner corselet long enough that it was hip high. I added an inner waist stay in the form of a grosgrain ribbon belt, and attached it in the manner outlined in Susan Khalje's Bridal Sewing book.

One of the more frequent comments I heard re the dresses during the wedding reception was:
"We love the dresses, and each dress seems to suit each girls personality so well." And I think it's true - the girls are very different and each would have been very uncomfortable in the style the other wore.
But as it was, they each loved their dress - felt very comfortable, as if they were as pretty as they could be in what they were wearing, and it Showed in how they conducted themselves all day.
Editing to add a pic of the girls with the bride - Becky, yes, these were bridesmaids dresses for my dsd's to be in my Brother-in-law's wedding (their uncle)

More pictures

Thank heavens they're done.
This week I'll finish the dress for me, AND get the next step up for the coat sewalong. Finally!