Melange

As my title suggests, there are a lot of disparate items in this post. From sewing to books to soap, I'm putting it all in here.

If you are a regular reader of Stitcher's Guild, you'll already know that I also asked there for advice on underlining my skirt, and among several answers got a very thoughtful question from Ann Rowley. She wondered if this fabric was really right for this design. It made me stop and think, and after some testing, I decided that she was right. I'm so glad she stopped me before I made a terrible error and wasted that gorgeous fabric.

I've been searching the inventory and have almost positively decided on a fabric which seems much more suitable. It's a Pendleton wool plain in a pinky-beige/cream/brown combination. It's a very fine, lightweight fabric that seems to drape beautifully on the bias. I will almost certainly underline it with something, but I haven't started testing that yet. I need to make a muslin from my corrected pattern and make sure it's just right before I start on the real thing.

Meanwhile, I sewed another pair of pants last night while procrastinating from some bookwork I should have been doing.

I have enjoyed looking at the various styles that Sigrid has put in her Inspiration file, and I thought it would be fun to try to copy these.

While I didn't get a perfect copy by any means, I'm fairly well pleased with these, and I know there are a few things I'd try next time if I do another pair. Photo Link The original has a 2-layer front piece, and this may help form the top bands a little more easily. I also would make the top band area wider so I had more to work with. Generally, I think they're kind of cute, though. The lace is some that I have had for years, waiting for a suitable project.

I was thrilled to find that several of you also have a fond feeling for The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont, which I discussed in the last post. I have ordered my own copy since then, and was able to get what I hope is going to be the exact edition my mother has. There are lots of reprints available, but I wanted an original. Miaaa, It was so interesting to hear that you have your grandmother's copy too!

My sister, who's very smart of course, is contributing two items to this post. First, she found the Encyclopedia of Needlework online in its entirety. Someone has posted it all, so if an online version will make you happy, it's here. The illustrations are very nice and clear, and there's a nice index, so it should be very usable.

Encyclopedia of Needlework Online

She also told me how to refill my foaming handsoap dispenser. In case you have one, you don't have to buy a new bottle every time. Just use the regular liquid handsoap and mix it with water in about a 1:3 ratio of soap:water. Stir well, and that's it. So instead of paying more for less soap and more water, just refill. Maybe everyone else already knew this, but I sure didn't.