Sew Intriguing

Fun Saturday with Barbara & A New Top

2011-11-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

Photo Link
Most of you are familiar with Barbara of Cat Fur Studio. I'm very lucky that she gets to Omaha once in a while which is close enough to me to make it easy to meet and visit. We've had some wonderful adventures in past visits. We've visited the Pendleton Outlet in Nebraska City, she's come to see my sewing studio, and this time, we shopped and lunched in Omaha's Old Market area. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time! Barbara won the Best Shopping award, and I helped. I did buy a hat. It's a nice, warm one, although stylish as well, I think. Today is windy, cold, rainy, and I may try my new hat sooner than I thought.

You can see here that I'm pointing out one of the features of Barbara's new Hot Patterns Primavera dress. I enjoyed seeing it and the great cape she made recently. Both very nice, and great wardrobe pieces; just what we all wish for as an outcome when we sew.
Photo Link

I will also say that the top I'm wearing is a new one. I used the FSG #1960 Top pattern (my go-to Tee pattern) and cut the neckline deeper and added the floppy collar. The fabric is one that I got from a member of the Omaha ASG group. She was moving and retiring from sewing, and donated all of her fabrics, etc. to the group for distribution with donation. It's a wonderful blue/rust cross-woven french terry. It changes with the light and I love it. It's really soft and comfy as well. You've seen the little knitted Gedifra vest before. It's the one I finally overdyed a couple years after I finished it, to improve the color. Now it goes with lots of things, and I wear it much more often.

Kudos to Barbara's wonderful husband, Nick, for taking these great photos! I think we look good, although we did get a little silly when encouraged to "be dramatic", but we had fun, and he got some nice photos.

I have to show off the darling notebook Barbara found for me. Its covers look like pattern instructions. What fun! I will be using it with pleasure. x Photo Link

I think I will be making more of this style now that winter is upon us. I hate to tell you this, but it's SNOWING here today! Ick, I hope the warm-up predicted for tomorrow will come and do its best. I'll leave you with the very sad view out my back windows. I just don't really like snow, especially not this early.
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Swimsuit With A Zipper

2011-11-01T13:04:00.000-05:00

From Drop Box

I used the same fabric as the first suit I made to make another one which is almost the same, except for one glaringly obvious diversion. It has an exposed zipper right in the front. The suit I copied and my first two copies all have a hook at the CB. This is fine, except it's sometimes hard to hook since it's fairly high up in the back, and it's tight fitting. I feel like I ought to be able to dress myself at this stage in life, and I have had to ask for help with this once or twice. I began to try to think of a better closure option.

From Drop Box

A center front zipper seemed the obvious choice, and so far, I like it. I've worn it twice now, and it's fine. I plan to make more like this as I need them, and perhaps several fairly soon. I have a few of these zippers on hand, and I might as well use them if they happen the right color. Finding swimsuit fabric is the trick. Here's the back view.

From Drop Box

I used Fold Over Elastic for all of the edges except the legs. Maybe I should put it there too, in future, but I'm not sure that would be worthwhile. I sort of guard the FOE, since it's a little hard to find. White isn't so precious as colors, but none of it is available locally.

You can see the inner structure. It's the same as the others except the zipper goes right through it. I use a powernet shield in the front bodice area. It has a strip of 3/4" elastic at the bottom, which floats free, and the powernet is basted to all corresponding edges of the front, and constructed as one. This gives it great support, just about like a sports bra, and perfect for water exercise.

The Gown - Details on Vogue 1250

2011-10-05T18:30:00.000-05:00

From 2011Gown

Finally, photos of the Gala Gown made from Vogue 1250,lengthened and with a train added. This is the gown I wore to the Lyric Opera opening night.

Carolyn was interested in how I did the train. I thought I would probably want to add a godet at CB, but didn't know if I should put it in the seam, or cut it onto the main skirt, which was what I had hoped would work, since with the ribbed knit fabric, the fewer seams the better. I looked in all my books, and found just about nothing on the subject.

I asked, and got good suggestions from my friend Jane, who gave me several patterns from her 'permanent collection' to look at, including the one I finally decided was just what I wanted, (OOP) Vogue 9400, which has a very similar skirt, with a cut-on godet train.

I laid it over my pattern, but only used it as a guide, since it had side seams, and my skirt was one piece from the CF fold to the CB seam, necessitating a narrower godet, even though my fabric was quite wide.

For general informational purposes, Jane says that a train will usually start where the top of a slit would be in a skirt, but I thought that since this was a knit, I could preserve the columnar effect of the skirt a little more by starting lower, and still have plenty of walking room, which proved to be the case. I started angling out at about the knee, and made an angle that brought me to the edge of the fabric at the length I wanted. Not very technical, but it worked perfectly.

From 2011Gown

She pinned the hem for me too, and used her standard 'bridesmaid length' which finishes 1 1/2" above the floor, giving plenty of room to walk, and looks floor-length to viewers. I worried a little about it being that far off the floor, but I have to admit, it worked perfectly, and I had no trouble walking, although one must 'manage' one's train when backing up, etc.

I did a hand stitched hem, using a supported catchstitch, and very fine silk thread. I started it with regular sewing thread, and it showed a lot. The fine thread made a great difference. You can see both the inside and outside of the hem in the photo below.

From 2011Gown

The shoes are slightly visible in some of the photos, but here's a better picture.

From MuPhiConvention

They are the ones I had to put 4 coats of ModPodge on to keep them from 'adhering' to the dress. I had no problems walking in them, quite a few blocks total in downtown Chicago, and wore them for about 6 hours total that night. As I'd thought, they were quite comfortable, although going down steps in them is not my favorite thing.

You can see all the photos in the slideshow above, but I'll leave you with a back view showing the train a little better, and a better view of the wrap I made to wear with the dress.

From 2011Gown

A Gala Evening

2011-10-02T01:45:00.000-05:00

Here is the promised photo. Norm, Patti, me and Rhonda at the Lyric Opera's Opening Night. Tales of Hoffman was great, the people-watching was very good, and we finished the evening with a tapas dinner. It was just a lovely evening.

For those of you who know Patti, a small disclaimer; I do have her permission to post the photo of her. Isn't her dress gorgeous? I think that should be her signature color.

One other thing, Patti gave me a rare treat that I forgot to mention. On Thursday afternoon, I got to sit in on the graduate-level statistics course she's attending at Northwestern. I didn't want to make trouble for her by putting this on the blog since I know everyone will be clamoring to go too. Honestly, it was very interesting, and the professor, Bruce Spencer, was most gracious to let me sit in.

Home tomorrow.

Thank You Haute Couture Club

2011-10-01T15:52:00.001-05:00

I gave my program on Marfy patterns to the Haute Couture Club of Chicago this morning, and I think it went very well. There were over 50 women in attendance, and it was such fun to discuss fashion sewing with women who also sew, and who are most definitely fashionable. I had the best time! I hope that many of them will give Marfy patterns a try. Nancy Erickson (N.A. Marfy Distributor) is extending Postage Amnesty ordering until tomorrow at midnight (Oct. 2nd) so now is the time to order if you want patterns.

I have to admit right now that I forgot about asking someone to take photos, although I had my camera along. So, there are no photos. I wish I had some to share with you. It was a great group.

The members' Show & Tell included several Marfy garments, and they were lovely. Rhonda Buss showed the fabulous skirt and bustier she's wearing tonight, and I plan to take a much closer look. We also got to see her darling Obi Bag. She includes instructions, so go and look.

And next, Tales of Hoffman at the Lyric Opera. I can't wait! I promise pictures of my dress at least.

More Stained Glass + A Little Fabric.

2011-09-30T17:41:00.000-05:00

First things first, of course, and we went to Vogue Fabrics first this morning. I can't show you most of what I got since they're shipping it. It's not really that much, but I think I'm pretty close to the weight limit on my suitcases, and I don't want to push it, plus they're very full anyway. I will tell you that I got a Donna Karan fine wool blend wavy print in very dark colors, a tiny check/birdseye wool blend, a mushroom-color wool gauze, and a wheat-color wool blend brushstroke print. I also got a couple of woven ribbons, which you can see above.

"Located at Navy Pier, The Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows housed in an 800 foot long series of galleries along the lower level terraces of Festival Hall. Open since February 2000, it is the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to stained glass windows. It showcases both secular and religious windows and is divided by artistic theme into four categories: Victorian, Prairie, Modern and Contemporary. All of the windows were designed by prominent local, national and European studios and most were originally installed in Chicago area residential, commercial and religious buildings. "

It really is a worthwhile exhibit, and it's easy to walk through it and enjoy. Here's a photo I took showing a window made for a stairway. I love the scrollwork designs.

Tonight Patti's doing a supper for about 10 women and we're going to have a good time visiting. (The smoke alarm is going off as I type....) Everything is under control. It's Barbara's Apricot Bourbon Chicken,via The Pioneer Woman Cooks. It smells wonderful, but I have to wonder if Patti's been dipping into the Jack Daniels a bit early? Possibly just for quality control purposes.

Tomorrow is the Trunk Show and Program, and of course as a finale,the opening of The Lyric Opera.

Chicago = Jazz + Stained Glass

2011-09-30T16:58:00.000-05:00

I went to my first Jazz Club performance last night, and it was great fun! We went to the Jazz Showcase and heard Eric Reed and his Trio. It was a great set, and I thought the ambiance of the club was wonderful as well. Definitely something I will be repeating, I hope.

As many of you know, I'm working on a stained glass project, and in furtherance of that, I'm trying to educate myself on various styles and genres of stained glass. I have been viewing various churches, etc. for some time now, where ever I go, and had two viewing opportunities planned for this trip. I will be going to The
Art Institute as well as The Smith Museum while in Chicago.

Earlier in the day we did go to the Art Institute to see the Chagall windows and the Spider Silk Weaving exhibit. Both were amazing, but the spider silk textile is something you really need to see in person. I'd read about it in several places and seen really good photos, but the reality is something special. I'm certainly not a fan of spiders, and I don't know that I could have worked on a project like this, but the results are spectacular.

Marfy Magic in Chicago and You're Invited

2011-09-28T10:01:00.000-05:00

From DroidUpload

I'm off this morning on an exciting adventure. I'm going to present a program to The Haute Couture Club of Chicago on Marfy Magic! If you're a sewer in the Chicago area, please come. I'd love to see you! (Details at the link to the Club above.)

I'm doing a Trunk Show of most of the Marfy patterns I've made, and will be discussing how to go about starting with Marfy patterns, how to succeed with them, and where to get them. Thanks to my good friend Jane for letting me take a few things of hers along as well.

Patti has graciously agreed to be my host and I know we're going to have a good time! We have several musical events planned besides the sewing connection, including (drumroll, please!) Opening Night at the Lyric Opera. I have a gown worthy of a gala evening, and there will be photos.

The big thing right now is making sure my bags containing the trunk show are not overweight. If they are, I'm not sure what I can do about it at this point. Thank goodness for SouthWest, and 2 free bags per passenger. I think I'm using my quota this time.

Tan/Black Floral Swimsuit

2011-09-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

Since my first swimsuit was a success, I had my eyes open for fabric for another, and found this at Hancock Fabrics.

From SwimSuit"

Kathi R had sent black FOE (fold over elastic) to me, so I had it on hand. It's only about half as wide as the lime green that I used on the other suit, but i think it's a good size with this print. I wasn't sure I was going to really like this fabric once it was made up, but I think the print is awfully nice.

I've been thinking about the problem of Spandex being a fairly quick casualty of the chlorine in swimming pools, and I've decided I'm not going to worry about it since even if I find 100%-polyester swimsuit fabric, as some of you wisely suggested, I'm still going to need something like a powernet lining in the bust area, and that's will have spandex in it anyway. At least for now I'll just figure they'll only last so long, and take it in stride. I'm sure 100% poly is the way to go, but without a powernet lining, which would defeat the purpose, it really won't be useable for me anyway, especially for water-aerobics. At least they're quick to make, and take very little fabric, less than a yard, plus notions of course.

Marfy Shrug + Skirt

2011-08-29T22:14:00.000-05:00

From Marfy Shrug

This is actually the fourth shrug I've made from this pattern so far. Between the floral one I did first, and this one, I made two black ones for a couple of friends. I'm really pleased with this pattern. Sorry for the poor photo quality; I was reduced to doing mirror pictures today.

In this version, it's the fabric that is the interest. This is an unusual two-layer knit The bottom layer is thick and squishy and the top layer is almost like a very fine hosiery mesh which is 'bubbled' so there's a lot of texture. I've had this fabric for quite some time, but never knew just exactly what I'd do with it until now.

From Marfy Shrug

Here's a side/back view, and with a different blouse. I think this is going to be something I'll wear a lot this Fall.

From Marfy Shrug

Swim Suit Copy

2011-08-23T19:25:00.001-05:00

From SwimSuit

I mentioned a couple months ago that I had started doing water exercise. Well, I'm still doing it, and I like it a lot. One bad thing about it is that you go through a lot of swimsuits because of the daily chlorine wear on them. I have a Kathy Ireland suit that I like a lot. It has a high neck and a lot of support, which is great for this, so I decided to copy it.

Kathi Rank sent me some lovely swimsuit fabric recently, so I plunged right in. It's a very dark navy and white print. I wanted to use foldover elastic for the edges, but had no navy or white or anything that worked, except this BRIGHT lime green. I got it from a co-op a couple years ago. I ordered a few different colors, and they sent me all different colors than my order, but I decided to just keep them and use them as they matched something. I wasn't sure I'd ever use this green, but it was perfect for this.

I decided not to do cups in the lining, but just did a plain powernet piece with elastic at the bottom to see if that would give me more of a no-bounce sportsbra effect. I'm glad I tried it, as I like it. I wore it this morning and had to wait for it to dry before I could take photos. I think I will be making more of these, although I'd like to find a different closure option. I don't like these hooks, and it's high enough in back that it's hard for me to do by myself. Any ideas?

Here's the back, which shows the front lining as well.

From SwimSuit

Marfy Shrug #0328

2011-08-20T20:04:00.000-05:00

From Vogue1250

As I mentioned in my last post, I made a little shrug from a Marfy pattern to wear with the lavender Vogue 1250 dress. Although it was quick to make, I have to admit that this pattern is probably the least intuitive I've put together for awhile. The pieces are odd shapes, and they fold around in a very 3-dimensional way that makes sense, but is hard for me to visualize in its entirety because of all the folding and sewing together. I felt a little like I was sewing in circles, but I trusted that it would come out okay, and it did. I cut it out of a pretty knit print that's quite sheer and that has very little stretch. I considered that it might end up as an actual muslin, but I hoped it would be wearable, as it is, and so I wore it, and liked it.

I will definitely be making more of these, and first of all, I'm going to make a black one for my roommate from the convention. She's a cellist and bass-clarinetist, and after she saw it, I had her try mine on to see how it fit her. It's perfect for playing, as it doesn't restrict your arm or shoulder motion.

Here's the back view.

From Vogue1250

Vogue 1250 Twice

2011-08-20T19:43:00.001-05:00

From Vogue1250

Everyone's been making this design with great success, and it looked like my kind of style, so I had to do it too. I am pleased with both versions. I made the print one first, with no alterations, although I cut a 14 at the hip and shoulder, moving to a 20 at the bust. I didn't do an FBA since the style is pretty forgiving, with a lot of ease where I need it. I shortened the back waist before making the print version, then shortened it some more, and shortened the front above the bust on the next version. I think on the second (lavender) version it looks very much as it should. The print version hides the excess folds in its busy print, so it's not a problem.

The lavender is a slinky-type knit, although it's not really a true slinky, and it had its ribs and its greatest stretch running on the crossgrain so that's how I cut it. One side had a little more variation in color, so I made that the right side.

Here are side-back photos of both dresses, and you can see the folds, such as they are. I suppose if I want to get rid of more of them, I'll have to shorten some more above the bust point. I'm not sure it's a problem at this point.

From Vogue1250

I got a lot of compliments on the lavender dress at the Mu Phi convention, which was nice. I thought it looked good, too. I wore it as you see it here, and also put on a little shrug about halfway through the evening. It's a new Marfy pattern, and I will be posting about it next.

Marfy #093 Skirt with Pocket Changes

2011-08-20T08:16:00.000-05:00

From Marfy 093 Skirt

You may remember the tie-dye Marfy skirt I made earlier this month. This time I made Marfy #093 with the cute inseam pockets from Vogue 1247. BeeBee and Carolyn both kindly helped me with the details. Thanks to both of you! I love these pockets. I've worn the skirt several times and I find it both comfortable and stylish.

The fabric is actually a pinstripe. The narrow stripe is a very pale pink, and barely shows unless you really get close and stare at it. It's a stretch woven, and it does stretch out with wearing, so it rests lower and lower on the hip as I go along. Washing and drying seems to help it recover, so it is bearable, but this is the main problem with a lot of stretch wovens, IMO. They are unreliable in their fit because they grow fairly quickly as you wear them.

I wore the skirt on the plane to the Mu Phi convention I attended in Rochester, NY last week. That was fine, except I was surprised to have to be 'felt up' under the skirt by the TSA. Now I know why most everyone wears pants to fly, I guess. I generally do too, but hadn't realized they are anti-skirt. They were even checking some poor woman who had on a tunic and leggings. I guess the original screener didn't know a tunic from a dress, as she was very willing to pull up her tunic for them. I, on the other hand, was not planning to pull up my skirt.

Here's the back view.

From Marfy 093 Skirt

Eyelet Border Knit Skirt

2011-07-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

Photo Link

This skirt is another of the straight skirts made with knit fabric and elastic waistband. Very similar to my recent Blue/Brown Snakeskin Print Skirt This fabric is from my California trip, and again bought with the able shopping assistance of Kathi, DrSue, and Lisa. I was very taken with the fabric, as I have never seen a knit with eyelet embroidery like this before. Lots of wovens, but no knits, and with the stripes as well, it was a much more sophisticated look than one usually gets with eyelet fabrics. I had to have it, and knew it was to be a skirt from the beginning.

Since this skirt has a finished hem edge it was super simple, except for one thing. The fabric is a very soft jersey knit, and without a lining it was going to be clingy almost to the point of indecency, in my opinion. So... to find something to line it with. Luckily, I have a lot of fabric-in-waiting, aka The Inventory, and I found a very nice pale pink stretch woven with almost as much stretch as the jersey. Honestly, I thought it must actually be a knit, but no, it ravels off just like a woven. It's woven with wide, square 'ribs' on the cross, and once again, the stretch is in the lengthwise direction. Obviously planned to be used like pinstripes and cut on the crossgrain, this is a neat fabric.

Here it is as worn, with the lining showing through the eyelet holes.
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I basted it to the edges of the jersey pieces and stitched it as one with it, using the selvedge as the hem, thus avoiding the problem of how to hem one fabric and not the other while seaming them together. Here you can see the side seam and the hem edge.
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The waistband is simple as can be. The elastic is serged to the edge, then it's turned under, zigzagged, and it's done.

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One last photo. The wisteria vines were whacking me in the face when I tried to hold them while talking to the cat at the same time. Ah well, that's real life.

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Tie-Dye Marfy Skirt

2011-07-24T16:23:00.001-05:00

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This is Marfy #093, one of the free patterns from the Fall/Winter 2006/07 catalog.

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I wanted a casual skirt that was something different than my usual, and this seemed ideal. I got this stretch woven from Fabric Mart some time ago. I like the somewhat subtle tie-dye pattern.

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It's one of those stretch woven fabrics that they weave with the stretch in the warp, thus you cut on the crossgrain. This gives you the stretch going around, where we want it.

A skirt that doesn't sit at the waist or fairly close to it is something new to me, and it's an easy fit. I interfaced the inner band and after applying and understitching, stitched through the darts and side seams to secure it, and am pleased with the result.

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The original pattern has shaped beltloops that button onto the pockets. I thought it was a little dated looking, or at least more retro than I wanted. I also don't really need excess bulk right around the stomach area, so I just did the pockets and left off the loops. I cut the pockets double with a fold at the top, stitched and turned, then topstitched them onto the skirt. I ended up facing the hem since I decided I liked the length before I turned up the hem allowance I added. Photo Link

I finished this on Friday, wore it Saturday, and heard good things, so I was pleased.
Photo Link Photo Link

Blue/Brown Snakeskin Print Skirt

2011-07-12T18:32:00.000-05:00

Photo Link

This is the style of skirt I've been wearing a lot this summer, and I think this fabric worked very well for the it. It's a snakeskin print knit with an interesting feature; at least I think it's interesting. It has dots all over it that act a little like sequins. They're quite tiny, and I have to suppose it's part of the printing process. It may be what I've seen labeled holographic, but the ones I've seen like that are generally a much bigger dot. More the size punched out for a 3-ring binder, whereas these are about 1/16" or less in diameter, or about 1mm. Very tiny, anyway. It's what gives the fabric its shine and suggestion of skin or leather. In the photo below, you can see the fabric dots best on the brown part of the print although they are placed evenly over the whole surface.

Photo Link

Anyway, the skirt itself is very simple. Just a straight skirt with elastic waist and a handsewn hem. You can see both the inside and outside of the waistband above, and the ribbon loop that marks the CB. This pattern was a download that's no longer available, and actually has 4 seams but in this case I simply put the CB and CF on folds. I like the 4 seam look in most cases, but when the fabric has a busy print, I generally only do 2 seams for visual continuity. You can see the skirt laid out flat below.

Photo Link

My next quandary is should I make a jacket or something to match this? I have plenty of fabric left, and I think I'd like something. I thought of a 'scuba' type zippered jacket, but then thought that was a little too 'snaky' with this fabric. What about a cropped jacket? That's what I'm leaning toward now. But what about something else entirely? That's what I'm stumped on. I don't think a top is what I want, but it might be. What do you think? Any great ideas?

Marfy Flounced Top #2484

2011-07-10T13:28:00.003-05:00

From Marfy 2484

I've been avoiding pattern alterations for some reason, and I can't really sew a decently fitting bodice without at least an FBA, so I just forged ahead on Marfy #2484, one of the free patterns in the 2011/12 catalog. At first glance, I wondered why on earth Marfy had only extended the flounce to the shoulders or a little beyond. Seemed a little like "coffin clothes" but then I thought about what would happen to that flounce if you wore a jacket or other layer over it. You'd be fighting that back flounce continually and having to reposition it when you took your jacket off, and trying to get it to lay smoothly with the jacket on; in short, a real pain. So, this seems like a good plan after all.

I used an extremely thin knit fabric that I bought in the LA Fashion District while shopping with Kathi, Sue, and Lisa in February. I love the soft, watercolor effect and the colors, and the irregular slightly pleated/folded/wrinkled texture added didn't hurt either. The fact that the fabric is so very thin and soft let me use a faced technique for the flounce with great results.

From Marfy 2484

I added a FBA and darts to this, but otherwise cut a straight 46. There are patterns given for the shaped front bands and facings and the sleeve hems, but since the pattern suggests either a woven fabric or a knit, and I used a knit, I just cut crossgrain strips and interfaced them lightly with PRO-TRICOT Deluxe fusible interfacing from Pam Erny's Fashion Sewing Supply. I used the same interfacing as a stay behind the neckline treatment. I used Jalie's binding method, which I like very much.

From Marfy 2484

Here is the binding pinned to the right side after the first pass, and with the flounce attached.

From Marfy 2484

The buttons are just for show, and I didn't bother putting buttonholes in. I handstitched the hem, just because the fabric is so soft, and I thought I'd have better control.

From Marfy 2484

Please don't laugh at me in cropped pants. I've been resisting them mightily for years, and found this pair in Irish Linen from Eileen Fisher for a song, so figured my time had come. I'm still not sure they're really "me", but they are comfy, so that's something I guess. Good color, too.

I've been wearing skirts a lot this summer, just little straight skirts from knits, and I have a new one almost done, and a couple on the cutting table.

Pink Top with Brown Polka Dot Trim

2011-06-13T15:39:00.001-05:00

From

I saw a really cute crocheted dress pattern the other day from a Bernat vintage pattern leaflet called After Five and fell in love with it. Then I realized I'd be crocheting tiny motifs and attaching them to each other for the rest of my life, and decided to copy the idea but sew it rather than crochet. This top is what I came up with in my test.

From PinkTop

Here are the original photos for the dress.

I need to angle the lower binding more, as it reads horizontal now when worn. I would need to raise the neckline to more closely copy the original as well. Both of these things would be easy fixes, although the neckline change might require the addition of a closure.

I used my usual FSG#1960 Twinset pattern Top for this, although I think I might have done better with a Marfy tank pattern I like. I put a little side seam ruching at the hem, although you can't really see it in the photo.

From PinkTop

The polka dot fabric is a scrap I had on hand, and I think it turned out really cute.

I used the binding method given by Jalie in their #3024 knit dress pattern. Thanks Kay for noting these great instructions some time ago. I use them a lot now. Basically, you cut your binding 3x your seam allowance width, which will also be your finished width. This works for either binding on the right side or on the wrong side. The other side is always clean-finished.

From PinkTop

Swimsuit Straps and Food

2011-04-20T15:49:00.000-05:00

From 2011April

I have been trying out Water Aerobics lately. I've had problems with Sciatica in the past, and suddenly it's back, and nothing seems to help much. It was suggested that water exercise might be good, as well as a few other things, but so far I'm trying the water, and it seems to help. It keeps pressure off the nerve, but still allows one to exercise.

I hadn't bought a swimsuit for years, but purchased 2 at the FIDM Shop in LA's Fashion District. They're identical styles in similar prints from Esther Williams. They have loops to attach halter straps, but there were no straps. Perhaps this is why they were selling them for $5 each. I decided it would be more comfortable to have regular, over-the-shoulder straps. I used some Victoria's Secret Satin Lycra I had. I put the non-stretch going lengthwise, so the straps do not stretch much if at all. There's plenty of stretch in the suit, and I wanted support. I made wide turned tubes, and pinned them in place, then tried it on, and adjusted (shorter) and did 2 rows of 2x2 zigzag at each end.

From 2011April

I think it turned out very well, and it's very comfortable to wear, and I think it looks pretty good, too. The color match is better than what I thought I'd find in the inventory. Now to do the other suit.

From 2011April

I also baked some rolls using the FARR bread machine I have. (FARR is Frivolous Appliance Round-Robin, and the machine belongs to my brother. I'm just 'storing' it right now.) You make the dough in the machine, then roll and shape it, let it rest, and bake it. They turned out pretty nice, and it was kind of fun. I love bread.

From 2011April

Chicago Fabrics

2011-04-13T14:43:00.002-05:00

The UPS man brought me a very nice box this afternoon, and of course my fabric from Fishman's and Vogue were inside.

From Chicago Fiberly 2011

These two pieces are from Vogue Fabrics.
The top one is a Silk/Metal tissue-woven in Dark Brown and Gold. It's almost like a gauze. I'm going to use it to copy an elegant shrug/stole worn by the soprano at the Chicago Symphony last week. It had one sleeve, then went across the shoulders and fell to the floor on the other side. Very simple, very dramatic, and what impressed me most is that she didn't have to keep adjusting it. It stayed put. I'm hoping mine will too.
The lower piece is a Seafoam Slinky knit. I got just enough to make a top. I love the color.

From Chicago Fiberly 2011

This is a Wool/Lycra Knit w/French Terry-like back. Both of the knits I got at Fishman's (this and the one below) are really nice, heavy-weight knits that will be perfect for pants. This is a british tan/dull tobacco color. The 'french terry' side has a twill effect.

From Chicago Fiberly 2011

The fabric in back is the other knit, it's a chocolate brown. Both sides are similar on this one.
The front fabric is a Prada Wool with a birdseye weave in a very Grayed Brown with a Pink thread added. I fell in love with this. It's going to become a jacket. Fishman's also had this in 2 other colorways. Charcoal with Lavendar, and Charcoal with Lime. They were very nice, but as you can tell, I liked this best.

I thought I was fairly circumspect in my purchases, but I think I got some beautiful things, which would have been a complete gamble if I had had to purchase them online, sight unseen. I think solid colors are the hardest to buy online, as it's so difficult to describe colors, hand, etc. to each other.

I have to say that going fabric shopping with Ann and Kay opened my eyes. I thought I was fairly proficient at telling fiber content by feel, but I am a pure beginner compared to them. I will be attempting to brush up my ability, but I don't think there's much chance of my catching up too far. Obviously the only answer is to shop with them again!

Spring, and a Turkey Has Come

2011-04-13T14:22:00.000-05:00

From 2011-04

It was nice in Chicago, especially on Sunday, but it's absolutely perfect Spring weather here in Lincoln. The forsythia had begun when I left, and there were crocuses, grape hyacinth, and other early bulbs blooming. Now everything is just pushing out, including the wisteria. Its buds are approaching 2" long, and have a ways to go before they'll bloom, but things are looking up. Spring is always so cheerful and hopeful. And then there's this turkey.

I saw the turkey once before I left, and now she's still hanging around. The photo is taken off the top deck, and the turkey is actually in the neighbor's yard. It seems perfectly calm and has apparently adopted the area as a safe place to forage. I'm wondering if there isn't a nest somewhere around close. It's fun to see it, no matter why it's here.

More Spring Flowers.

From 2011-04

This little stone bunny was my Mother's, and I think he looks quite serious guarding the daffodils.

From 2011-04

Helleborus Orientalis - Lenten Rose is just about done for the season. It's finally beginning to spread out a little, which is nice. It's a beautiful plant, and always blooms for me during Lent, as it supposed to.

From 2011-04

I planted some ferns a few years ago on the North side of the fence on the East side of the house, so lots of shade. They lived, but didn't particularly thrive. Until this year. Suddenly I have ferns coming up on both sides of the fence, and multiple times as many as originally were planted. I was so thrilled when I discovered them yesterday.

From 2011-04

View of the back from the patio. Note antique horse weather vane/lightning rod.

From 2011-04

Wider view of the back.

I spent a few hours in the afternoon yesterday cleaning the flowerbeds up, and got a lot done, but I still have a ways to go. It's nice work, though.

Chicago Fiberly Trip

2011-04-10T22:32:00.001-05:00

I've spent the last 4 days in Chicago having a marvelous time with other fabulous sewers. Patti put it all together, and we had the best time. I got here Thursday morning, Patti drove us directly to 2nd Presbyterian Church where we viewed the Tiffany stained glass windows and other magnificent artworks there. This is truly worth a special stop if you're anywhere near there. That evening Patti, Norm and I went to The Chicago Symphony and Chorus's concert performance of Verdi's Otello. It was the return of Riccardo Muti, the soloists were fantastic, and it was simply a wonderful performance. I thought the soprano was especially good, and when I read the review, I was glad to see the Tribune's reviewer agreed with me.

"By far the best was the Bulgarian soprano Krassimira Stoyanova as the wronged heroine, Desdemona. Hers is a rich, gleaming lyric soprano with ample colorings and spinto thrust where needed. She sang with ravishing depth of sound, never more so than in the "Willow Song" and "Ave Maria," floating their soft, high-lying phrases so purely and poignantly as to have one hanging on every phrase. She did not need stage direction to bring out Desdemona's innocence and faith that pure love will be her salvation."

Following the performance, the weekend became purely textile-related. KayY (The Sewing Lawyer) and her husband Don came in, then Ann (Gorgeous Things) and Nancy (Nancy DaQ). Unfortunately, we were missing Linda, who was scheduled to come, but didn't make it.

Because Friday's weather here in Chicago was very foggy, both Ann and Nancy's planes were delayed, so Kay and I went to Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, Don tagged along and hit the 'trilobite shop', and Patti gathered Ann and Nancy as they arrived. We all met for dinner at Addis Abeba that evening.

From Chicago Fiberly 2011

Saturday morning, we met Cenetta at Fishman's and shopped there and at the Chicago location of Vogue Fabrics. Lunch at Manny's, an Architectural Walking Tour, dinner at Tapas Barcelona, and then more chat late into the evening rounded out our day.

Sunday we met Patti and two new friends, Karen and Adrienne at the hotel, walked to the train station, then made our way downtown to the Holiday Inn at the Merchandise Mart for the Haute Couture Club's luncheon and Fashion Show. It was a great day with probably 70 outfits in the show. Cenetta had quite a few, Rhonda Buss, whom we met before the show had multiple outfits as well. Altogether we had a lovely time. Nancy and Ann left us at the Mart and headed to their flights.

From Chicago Fiberly 2011

Patti, Norm, Kay and Don gave me my first experience of Indian and Nepali food as we went to Mt. Everest in Evanston for a light supper. Very nice. What a congenial group this has been, and I think we all had a marvelous time. It was just so much fun getting to meet and talk with longtime on-line friends. Everyone was just as nice as I'd thought they would be, and it was a most pleasant weekend to say the very least. And yes, I did buy fabric, but it's being shipped home, so you will just have to wait to see it. I was pretty circumspect in my purchases, but I have to say that between all of us, we made some fabric stores pretty happy.

A Fast Raincoat

2011-04-07T00:15:00.001-05:00

From Raincoat

I'm heading to Chicago in the morning to have a sewing weekend with some fabulous friends from all over the continent. Patti, who lives in Chicago, has invited us all to come and attend the Haute Couture Club's Fashion Show and Luncheon. We will naturally take the opportunity to do some Power Shopping of the Fiberly Kind, and of course there will be lots of chatting, show and tell, etc. At the last minute, almost (about a week ago) we decided to have a challenge, and any garment we started after the challenge was issued and finished before the event counts. I can't wait to see what Patti, Linda, Kay, Ann and Nancy show up with. This raincoat is my challenge garment.

I decided I needed a new raincoat for the trip, and since I've had this fabric on hand waiting to be a raincoat for a couple of years at least, I was ready to go, sort of.

From Raincoat

Deciding on a pattern was my next problem. I think a raincoat should be very roomy so it's easy to pull on over bulky layers if necessary, and I decided to go with the Marfy cape pattern #0493 I've used before, but I knew I would lengthen it both at the hem and the sleeves. So it's only sort-of capey. I started this on Sunday and finished it Tuesday. It's unlined, as the fabric has a very slick finish on the wrong side. The right side is a coated print. When I bought it, it was almost sticky/rubbery feeling, but now it's not sticky at all, so I don't know if it's aged well, or lost its oomph. It's much nicer now, IMO.

I enlarged the pockets from the original, and I think they're just the right size now. I love this style with the gathered pocket placed into the band.

From Raincoat

I think the most interesting and fun detail on the coat is the closure.

From Raincoat

I knew I needed some kind of focal point, as there's just so much pattern to the fabric, and with the cape-styling, there's a large expanse of unbroken fabric. I originally thought of Ultrasuede for some kind of front band or something, but I couldn't find any Ultrasuede anywhere, or anything to stand in for it. I thought of snaps, and was very pleased to find these Magnetic Snaps at JoAnn's in their handbag notions. They're exactly the same as those in the snap area, but much more reasonably priced. I used 5 in all, but still wanted something like Ultrasuede to place on the right side of the snap placement area. There was nothing, so I scouted around the store, thinking there might be some small suede or leather scrap stuff in the craft area that would be big enough for what I wanted. Well, you'll never guess what I finally used. In fact, I think it would be fun if you all just guess. So leave a comment if you think you know. I'll give you a hint or two. It's not fabric. I purchased it at JoAnn's, and it comes in quite a few colors.

I think it's going to be a nice coat to just throw on when I need it, and it's going to be perfect for my trip, as it's no-wrinkle, and certainly won't show any spills, if they don't just wipe off anyway.

From Raincoat

Palomino Dress

2011-03-23T13:38:00.000-05:00

From PalominoDress

I've said for a long time that I want to make more dresses, but I don't actually do it, it seems. I began this project with my original plan for this fabric (from Mood LA). I was going to make a long sleeved high-necked top that I could wear under dresses, or with a cami under it since it's so sheer. I then thought it would be nice as the yoke and sleeves of Jalie 2682. I then thought maybe I should make it a dress instead of a top, by just lengthening it. I am quite pleased with the result, and am glad I made a dress of it.

As you can see, I raised the yoke/bodice seam from under the bust to above the bust, just below the armscye. This meant that the FBA I had done on the original pattern needed to be adjusted as well, with the dart pointing up to the new seam, rather than down as before. I also added the bow with streamers. A nice strong vertical line is hardly ever a bad thing. As I look at the photos now, I may make the bow part larger, which would only involve un-tacking it and pulling them out longer. Pressing the seam out after turning the piece for the bow took about as long as making the rest of the dress. The sheer part of the burnout wants to stick to itself, and I had to pin the seamline to the ironing board about every couple of inches or less, and carefully manipulate the fabric while pressing. Hooray for teflon iron shoes, as I was able to use steam on this. It was resistant to pressing flat, too.

From PalominoDress

The Brown Burnout is a knit, and the body of the dress is Slinky Knit. I didn't have much trouble putting them together, although the burnout is very light and flimsy, and the slinky is fairly heavy. I used clear elastic in all seams involving the slinky, which seemed to work well. I used a twin-needle for the hem. This project involved changing thread colors depending on which fabric I was working on at the time. I have a fairly unique zip-up jacket made of the slinky that I will have to try with it. You never know.

This dress is really comfortable, as you might expect. The burnout seems pretty fragile, but once you have it on, it's fine. I was surprised at how much coverage it gives, especially since it's double on the front bodice. I am wearing a strapless bra with it, but I think I could wear a regular one without much problem. I found I did need a half slip with the dress, otherwise if I had the skirt fitted this closely, it showed every bump, and if I had it looser, it just looked like a sack. I think I found a happy medium, and I like wearing a slip anyway. I was just afraid it might show, but it doesn't seem to.

From PalominoDress

California Fabrics

2011-02-28T01:37:00.000-06:00

This is a photo of the contents of a box now working its way toward me on a UPS truck. I think I did pretty well overall. Kathi took me, Susan and Lisa first to FIDM, both the store and museum, and then to the Fashion District. We did find some good things.I bought mostly knits, some linen, serger thread, and elastics and stretch laces. FIDM sells almost all of their fabrics for $1/yard, so it's very difficult to resist when you find things you like. Here are some detailed shots with descriptions.

L-R, from top
Plum Knit; Brown Knit; Mauvey Knit Stripe w/Eyelet Hem; Gray/Silver Small Print; Brown/Gold Cracked Knit; Gold/White Swirl Dot Knit; Pink/Gray Line Knit.

L-R, Bottom to Top
Pink/Lime Floral Knit; Pink/Gray/White Plaid Knit; Gold/White Dot Swirl Knit; Pink/Gray Link Knit; Elastics.
Black/Gray Small Print Knit; Teal/Black Knit; Brown/Gold Cracked Knit.
Serger Thread, Eyelet Hem Knit; Sage Taupe Linen.
Plum Knit, Brown Knit.

These are closer photos of the fabrics.

I can't wait for them to get here so I can start in with them.

Palm Trees & Papyrus

2011-02-23T13:03:00.001-06:00

This was the view as I looked up from a bench near the ocean in Laguna Beach. It was so perfect, I had to take a photo to share.

We went to the Sherman Library and Gardens yesterday for lunch, and of course to wander in the perfectly appointed gardens.
This is their Central Garden Fountain. The Sherman is truly a tiny gem, and it's one of my favorite places out here.
They have the most darling little pond with the figure of an otter which holds a shower nozzle. There are two turtles sunning themselves on rocks below it, and you can see Lisa (or some of her) leaning over on the right. (She said she didn't want to see her face in my posted photos, and as her obedient sister, of course I would never do that.) I think the moral here is "be careful what you ask for". It is a nice photo in general though, and I have always loved the papyrus in the center of the pond. There are not koi in this pond, but they do have huge specimens in another larger pond in one of their greenhouses. The roses had all just been pruned, and so weren't blooming yet, but the orchids are at what seemed to me to be their height.

Here's me at the Gardens.

Later on, we hit the hot tub, which was fantastic for really relaxing, and unwinding after a day of being a tourist.

Fabric Shopping LA - Day One

2011-02-22T20:23:00.000-06:00

From Drop Box

We shopped at Mood and F&S Fabrics on the way home from the LACMA exhibit yesterday. Since we're going to the Fashion District with Kathi and Susan on Friday, I should have more to take home than I brought with me. Thank goodness I have room in my suitcase. Somehow, I was prepared for this eventuality.

I knew I was looking mainly for high quality ponte-type knits for skinny pants, and that's mainly what I bought. It's so difficult to find this fabric at home, and also difficult to get the colors I want without seeing them in person. Feeling the fabric is always helpful too. I got 4 pieces for pants, so I'm pretty pleased about that. A nice brown, 2 greens, one a sage, the other more of a camo-green, and then I took the plunge and bought a piece of black. I suppose a pair of black pants will come in handy, and now I'll have one.

I found some interestingly colored tricots at F&S, and got a yard of each. They're 106" wide, like most tricots, so that's plenty and then some. The grayed blue and green are so soft looking, and they go beautifully together. I'm naturally thinking of lingerie, and I know I want to make a half-slip for sure.

The most visually interesting fabric is of course the burn-out plaid knit. I have kind of a wild idea for it that could be fun if it works. We'll see.

From Drop Box

F&S on Left, from Top: Blue Tricot, Green Tricot, Olive RPL, Black Ponte.
Mood on Right, from Top: Brown Burn-Out Plaid knit, Sage RPL, Brown RPL.

Fashion Exhibit at LACMA

2011-02-22T19:38:00.002-06:00

Fashioning Fashion at LACMA

There's always something fun to see in Southern California, and this was fun to see. If you're anywhere near the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, you should try to see this exhibit. It's really fun to see all the gorgeous garments close up. They have mirrors behind some of them so you get a 360 view, too. We went yesterday since it was a Target Free Holiday Monday. I took a few photos at the fashion exhibit.

The first two are the same dress. It's early 20th century, and I love the trim, besides the general style of course.

From Drop Box

This dress has wonderful shaped collar and cuffs in velvet.

From Drop Box

This shows the cuffs, and guess who, in the mirror?

From Drop Box

A gorgeous emrboidered velvet kimono with a Fortuny-pleated skirt peeking out below. I have to think that the reason we only get a glimpse of the Fortuny dress is that it's in bad shape. What's there is gorgeous, though.

From Drop Box

This is a hat I just adore. Real gold embroidery.

From Drop Box

You wouldn't know it from my photos, but there were quite a few men's garments as well. Not quite 50/50, but probably at least a third were menswear. Most were highly embellished and embroidered, and in fabulous fabrics, so they were well worth seeing too.

There's a beautiful book available about the exhibit. It has great photos of the pieces, and lots of explanation. If you can get a look at it, you'll enjoy it.

We met a new friend at the exhibit too. It seems one can recognize fellow-enthusiasts. Hi to Mary from Fort Collins, Colorado!

Plane Knitting

2011-02-20T20:49:00.001-06:00

From Drop Box

Of course I had to come up with something to knit while on the plane, and thank goodness I came up with a good project since I ended up spending a couple of extra hours in Phoenix's airport. I 'finished' the Verena sweater last week, but decided that although it looks exactly like the photo in the magazine, I want it longer. Since there's only the 3 ridges at the bottom instead of 3 ridges, 2 basketweave repeats, and 3 more ridges like on the sleeves and collar, I'm going to pick up stitches around the bottom edge and add the basketweave band and the 3 ridges. However, this was not a project I wanted to do on an airplane or in an airport. I wanted mindless knitting, if you know what I mean.

This is the back of the matching skirt, so far. I cast on after I got to the airport in Omaha, and all in all, I was very pleased with my progress. I love the stockinette stitch stripes, which will save the skirt from looking too wide with all that diamond patterning. It is such a fun stitch pattern to knit, too.

My other choice for plane knitting was to start another counterpane square, but I just couldn't see juggling the pages with the pattern, etc. I think I made the right choice.

Lisa and I are going with Kathi and possibly DrSue to the Fashion District on Friday. Lisa and I will also be going to Mood and the Westside on the 28th. We're hoping to meet anyone in the area for lunch or whatever on a different day. Let me know if you are interested, and what works for you.

Another California Trip

2011-02-18T00:58:00.000-06:00

I've been really busy getting ready to go visit Lisa in Orange County again. I leave Saturday, and next Friday, KathiR from PR, whom I met out there in September, is going to guide us around the Fashion District. I can't wait, and I'm hoping there might be a few others who can get together with us then or another time while I'm there. I'll be there until the 1st, so just over a week.

We plan to go to the Westside to visit Mood, etc., on a different day, so let me know if you have ideas.

Counterpane Pattern Finalized

2011-02-12T16:58:00.001-06:00

I talked about wanting to knit a counterpane recently, and I decided to swatch a little to at least see if it was something I enjoyed enough that I could see myself doing all that knitting. I first did a swatch of a pattern from Mary Thomas's Knitted Counterpanes book.

From Counterpane

I used J&P Coats' Royale Fashion Crochet Thread in Size 3, because that's what I had on hand. I like the size of the block: bigger than I'd expected, but still nice looking, I think. The color is not what I want, of course. I'd like to finish the block as a pillow top if I can find another ball of thread to match.

I next tried a variegated swatch (below left, very small) of Megan's Counterpane, the pattern I showed in the previous post (link above) in a Size 5 thread, again because it was on hand.

From Counterpane

I liked the pattern better, but the variegated color was awful, and made it difficult to 'see' the pattern itself. I went and bought some thread in the same size (5) in Natural to see how I liked it. I also got it in a Size 3, to see how I liked that size thread. I would rather use the larger gauge, as the results will be quicker. Perhaps really slow rather than glacial. In between I also tried a swatch in size 10 thread, which was not good, and I just ripped it right out.

I like the size (3), the color (Natural) and the pattern Megan's Counterpane), so I began in earnest, but haven't gotten very far, as I decided I'd better finally finish up the Verena sweater before I got completely away from it. I only had the front collar to do, and I have struggled. Perhaps it knew it was being cast aside for a new project, but I think I knitted and ripped that thing at least 5 times before I got it going correctly. I counted wrong, I was confused about how many repeats of the pattern I had to get my increases in, I did too many, I did too few, I seemed to have lost my mind in general Everything went beautifully on the whole thing, and suddenly it was the project from hell, I'm in two minds about whether to start on the skirt after this. Probably not immediately anyway. I'm going to block and make up the sweater right away, and see how resilient the yarn is. It may not be terribly suitable for a skirt, and I'd just as soon know now

I've since ripped out the square I'd begun with Natural Size 3 on a 0 needle, and started again on a Size 1 needle, which seems to make all the difference. Since I've been so slow posting all of this (most of it was written on the 5th) I've actually finished the first 'real' square, and here it is!

From Counterpane

It takes a little over 1 ball to make a square, and now I need to figure about how many I need, and order them. They are a no-dye-lot item, which is nice, but I'm not sure that's very trustworthy really, and I'd like to get all of them at once.

Fleece Thoughts -Plus- Most Fabulous French Onion Soup Ever

2011-02-03T18:58:00.000-06:00

From inbox

First, thank you for the comments on my fleece cami. It's nice and warm. Sally had an interesting thought, which made me think. She mentioned that she'd like something that came up higher on the back since her upper back was always chilly. I then wondered why you couldn't use a pattern like Jalie 2568 with fleece. You could make the back neckline higher without too much trouble, although at some point a CB seam, some shoulder darts or other shaping method might be desirable.
You might have to be a little careful of the size you cut, comparing the amount of stretch in your fleece to the amount called for in the pattern, but fleece is pretty stretchy, and I think this could be a real winner. I have an OOP KwikSew pattern that is almost identical that I would use.

Now on to the onion soup. The perfect meal on a cold, cold day.

I have to give all the credit for this to my dear friend Barbara, of Cat Fur Studio. She is many-talented, and also has a cooking blog where I found this. Her method for making Caramelized Onions in the crockpot is fabulous and unbelievably simple. I now make sure I always have some of her caramelized onions at the ready in the fridge at all times. Makes for some wonderful things, and of course real French Onion Soup is not the least of those.

Barbara's Caramelized Onions and French Onion Soup Recipe and one more look at the delicious result.

From inbox

Fleece Camisoles

2011-02-02T13:51:00.001-06:00

From Lingerie

Perhaps not the most sexy lingerie item, but when it's below zero with 40mph winds outside, I think most of us are a little more interested in warmth. I am anyway.

I have a fleece camisole that was part of a pajama set I bought a few years ago that I use as a camisole when it's really cold. I've always thought I should copy the idea, and I finally did. I made two. The first one is very plain, with fleece straps, and just hemmed at top and bottom, and was made from a scrap of fleece I had. It was my test version, and I didn't even take a photo of it, I just put it on and wore it.

From Lingerie

The second cami is in a polka-dot fleece I bought with this project in mind. I used a piece of embroidered and scalloped sheer tricot (from my FabricDepot Stretch Lace Valu-Pack) beneath the hem edge, and found some large chenille rickrack in a hot pink that is the perfect strap. The top edge ended up a funny, but intriguing shape because of the way I cut the front and back together. I forgot to cut the front lower in the center after I was done with the double layer, but it is a very interesting look, almost like an Elizabethan corset top, and I like it. It would look cuter with a bow or twist of rickrack where the straps connect, but the chenille rickrack is so ravelly I think I won't bother, and it would make quite a lump under clothing anyway.

From Lingerie

The original has no shaping at all really, and I didn't give this much either, just making a small pleat where the straps attach, and giving it a fairly close fit, making the stretch of the fleece do the work. I love the sheer tricot hem edge and the straps give it a little kick, perfect with polka dots.

I think these are going to go on the list of great Xmas gifts, and my sister-in-law may get one for her birthday much sooner.

Toe-Up Socks and Possible Knitting Adventures

2011-01-17T18:30:00.002-06:00

There's a chapter of the Knitting Guild here in Lincoln, and although I've been going to one of their monthly Sit-and-Knit afternoons for probably a year off and on, I'd never made it to one of their 'actual meetings' until Saturday. They're doing several Knit-Alongs this year, and the first is for a Toe-Up sock. Well, I'd tried a toe-up pattern once, and although it worked okay, it wasn't as much fun to knit as the regular top-down variety. However, I was willing to try again, especially since there would be expert advice on which techniques really do work the best.

We're doing The Traveler, A Toe-Up House Sock with Traveling Cables by d-made.com.

It's a worsted-weight sock, which makes for quick results; very suitable for a knit-along. The photo below is my progress so far.
Traveler Sock Progress - Photo Link
We're supposed to do the heel next month at the meeting, so I will probably just do the second one up to this point, and then wait on both of them.

I should say that we didn't do the crochet-chain provisional cast-on called for in the pattern. Instead, we did a Figure-8 cast on, which worked well for me. I'd done the Turkish cast-on before, and it's quite similar, but this seems easier, or maybe I just don't remember the Turkish as well as I should.

I've also suddenly gotten the urge to knit a counterpane, or cotton coverlet. The photo below is something like what I'm thinking of. It shows 4 squares which total about 14" across, so there would be many more before I was done.
Megan's Counterpane
I'm planning to swatch a little bit to see if I really want to use tiny yarn (thread) and very fine needles, or if I want to use a larger yarn for faster results and a very different look (and a different pattern). I've thought about knitting one of these for years. Ever since reading an article in Piecework in about 1996, and would now need a pair for the twin beds in my guest room. So, not only a lot of work once, but twice. You can see why I'm a little hesitant at jumping right in.

I was wearing my Graceful Pullover yesterday, and have often thought the stitch pattern (Frost Flower) is so pretty that I should use it for something else. Well, maybe a coverlet would be a fine place.
Photo Link
The sweater is worsted, which is very pretty, and if I did the coverlet in worsted, it would go fairly fast, and I could do the main pattern once down the middle with cables and eyelets at the sides, or more probably twice down the top, with one or two of the sleeve cables in the center. Then for the 'fall' on each side I could either do another pattern repeat, or something much simpler. I would seam it at each edge of the top, and I can see putting ribbons through the eyelet rows (columns). Anyway, I need to finish the Verena sweater I'm knitting now before I begin anything major. I'm on the back collar now, so it will soon be done. I was going to make a matching skirt though, and I suppose I still can. We shall see.

It was a beautiful day here today, and I hope the weatherman is completely wrong about tomorrow, and they're saying it's going to be bitterly cold, with possible freezing rain, etc. I'm probably driving to Omaha tomorrow, so I'm hoping for another 45 degree day like today.

Knitting Progress - Verena Veronique

2011-01-12T22:26:00.001-06:00

You may remember that before Christmas, I was beginning to knit the Veronique top from the Fall 2010 Verena knitting magazine. I'm still working on it, and I'm now finished with the main sweater pieces, and am working on the collar. It's done a little differently than any other sweater I've made. Usually you sew the pieces together, and then pick up the stitches for the collar and knit it in the round. Well, in this case, you do the front and back collar on the front and back before you stitch everything together. I can only think this must be because of the shaping of the collar since it has to fit down around the shoulders, and there's a lot of shaping to it as you knit. Anyway, it's different, and we shall see. Here is the front with the collar started.

Photo Link

Since it's only taken me about 2 months to mostly finish the top, I'm fairly sure I can get the skirt done as well. I hope so anyway, although now that I've read the skirt pattern seriously, I see that it's done on much smaller needles than the top, so that means more stitches, and longer to do it. Oh well, I need a project, I guess. I do seem to be doing more knitting than sewing though, and I'd like to change that.

I did alter some older turtleneck tops the first of the month. Quick and easy, but nice to have them to wear. These were much too big, and not even ones I'd made, and I had been not wearing them unless I needed something for scooping snow, etc. I'm glad to be able to wear them 'for real' now, as they're great for layering under things, and the colors are ones I like (Surprise!) I just put them on and pinned in the sides, and under the arms, then took them off, marked on the inside, trued things up, stitched and cut off the excess. I didn't even use my serger, just a very narrow, longish zigzag. 0.5 x 3.0 is what my machine shows. Pfaff's IDF system really is a wonder on knits.

An Outfit for 'The' Shoes

2011-01-12T21:43:00.000-06:00

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This is the vest/sleeveless jacket I made to wear with the wonderful Fergie shoes. It's the FSG #1960 Cardigan pattern, without the sleeves, and with the shawl collar modification in Nancy Erickson's newsletter. I think it is much more a sleeveless jacket look than a vest, and that's what I'm calling it. The color is probably truest in the first photo.
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It's a nice, beefy knit with surface interest from the black raised threads. Since it was so beefy and almost thick, and because I used no interfacing in it, it has a very soft look and feel.
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You can see that I stitched down the edges of the uppermost seam allowance after grading the allowances that lie beneath. The collar/band unit was sewn on as one, with the allowances all laying the same way, so this made a nice finish which allowed everything to fall as it should.

As noted above, I used the shawl collar pattern piece provided in the Nancy Erickson newsletter, and I think it's fine. I think I might make a less pronounced curve out to the collar from the band if I make another like this. I can't decide if it would make it too bulky where it closes, or if it would be better, but I can always try it and then change back if I don't like it.
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I had thought I'd do patch pockets on this, but I was afraid it would make the front so much heavier than the back that it would hang funny, especially if I actually put anything in the pockets. So, I left them off, and for the look of it, I'm glad I did. I like pockets though, and I wonder if in-seam pockets might work next time. I really don't need the bulk though, so we'll see. I know I could have used weight in the back hem to make it hang straight, but this isn't a structured enough or 'important' enough piece to do that, in my opinion.

The top with this is from a set I made from this same pattern (there's a charcoal cardigan jacket as well) and the skirt is part of it as well, although not from the FSG pattern. I shortened the skirt from calf-length. I think it looks good, and I love a simple 4-seam straight skirt in a knit fabric. It's so much more slimming than without the CF and CB seams. It's an elastic waist, and honestly, you don't need a pattern to make one like it.

It's really, really cold here lately, and we have a bunch of snow on the ground, but at least more isn't coming down right now. I hope the bad storms and big problems are missing all of you, too.

Cool Shoes

2010-11-19T19:15:00.000-06:00

And now for something to wear with them.

They're from Fergie, and they're called Jigsawed I found them on sale at VonMaur's, and absolutely could not resist. I think they really need a skirt to show them off best, and I think my brown straight knit skirt will be just fine, but I want a jackety-type piece with it (third piece). I am working on a sleeveless version of the FSG#1960 cardigan, belted. I love the look of the long vests I'm seeing, and I think this will be good. I want to use a teal knit for it. I have a lot of the same thing I made narrow Marfy pants from, or I have some that's a little thicker with a slight texture and a black/brown design on it. I can't think of what you call it, but it sits on top of the fabric, and is kind of shiny. Embossed, I think. Anyway, I'm leaning toward it. I think with the skirt and a long-sleeved sweater/top and the vest it will be nice.

The other thing I'm thinking of is a very, very short jacket. I posted a while ago that I was thinking about something like that, and I went to a presentation of a graduate thesis in design, and she had done a collection of suits. One was based on the Korean national dress, and it was THE must-have piece of the group, IMO. A very short jacket with an asymmetric half-bow with a long tail. Gorgeous, especially with the skirt she showed, but the skirt would not be wonderful on me. The jacket? Maybe not either, but I'm dying for it. Here's an example of traditional Korean dress.

The skirt was nothing like this. It was very form-fitting from the very high waist through mid-hip with horizontal channel quilting, then a straight wrap skirt for the rest of it. It gave the effect of an obi under the jacket because of the wide quilted part. The whole thing was in a deep charcoal suiting fabric. Very chic.

Veronique In-Progress

2010-11-16T16:03:00.000-06:00

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I've been working on the Veronique pullover from the Fall 2010 Verena magazine. I found some lovely gray yarn that was just what I was looking for. Almost anyway, as it was spun by a friend with 2 plies. I have been taking the plies apart and using a single to knit this to get the gauge I needed. I like the way it's turning out, and it's been a fun pattern to knit so far. This is the back. I'm not sure I'll ever get the skirt done to match it, but I'd like to try, and I think I have plenty of yarn to do both the pullover and the skirt.

I'm a Featured Blogger on Bernina's We All Sew Blog!!!

2010-11-06T14:25:00.000-05:00

Yes, as you can tell, I'm pretty excited! I got a comment this week that I would be featured next week, and I was very surprised to see that the note and link are already up.

Erika, Miss Sews-it-all, notified me, and I immediately went to look at both the We All Sew blog, which is sponsored by Bernina, as well as her personal blog, Miss Sews-it-all. I quickly realized that here is one very talented lady.

Welcome to everyone who comes here by way of We All Sew!

Thanks so much Erika!

Verena Fall Knitting

2010-11-06T14:13:00.001-05:00

I think I mentioned before that I subscribed to the digital version of Verena Knitting beginning with this issue, simply because I loved Pattern #1, a pullover and skirt. The link will take you to their Flash Player, and this should be the first one, it's in gray with a diamond-lattice pattern. I've been sort of looking for some yarn for this, and found some lovely stuff that a friend had. She was donating it to the church knitting group, so I traded them for some nice yarn I had that I wasn't going to make up, so we're all happy. This is a 2-strand yarn, and I'm splitting it into a single strand. So far, I've done the lower edge on the back, so there's a ways to go yet, but it's interesting. I'm hoping to get it all done before gray is no longer an 'in' color.

That's my progress so far, and as you can see, it's pretty meager. This is a size 4 needle, but I'm about to change to a 2 for the body of it. The pattern calls for a 6 and a 4, so this is my usual go-down-two-sizes change. I'm always surprised about this, as I don't think I really knit that loosely, and I can't imagine knitting so tightly that I could go up 2 needle sizes and get the right gauge. I guess I'm a relaxed knitter.

I took a photo of the latest Ruffled Shawl too. It's a mystery content yarn from Mangelson's. I'd bet on a high cotton content though. It's more of a DK weight than a worsted, so it's very drapey. The ruffle doesn't stand quite as well as the worsted yarns have. I love the colors.

I woke up at 4am this morning out of a sound sleep and was instantly alert and getting an early start on my worrying. You know what those kind of nights are like. I got up and decided to sew after about 45 minutes. I cut out and did the first step of the pockets on 2 pairs of narrow pants last week and then stalled. I finished them both this morning except for the elastic, which I will try to do tonight. I'm excited to have them in my wardrobe. I'm a little short on casual pants, and these are going to be nice. Photos when they're done.

Lots of Knitting

2010-11-06T12:34:00.001-05:00

I've been knitting lately with a group at my church. We do prayer shawls for those going through a rough patch, and afghans. The shawls are distributed by the Stephen Ministry there, and the afghans are given to each high school graduate in the spring. I did one afghan a few years ago, and really hated the enormity of the project, but I really am enjoying doing prayer shawls.

This is a 2x3 rib pattern, very plain, but I love the way the yarn patterned itself because of the ribs. This is really long (about 7 feet) because everyone immediately decided it could be for a man since it was more masculine than many of them turn out to be.

It seemed like it took forever to knit, although I don't know why it should have. It was just a slow project.

I then came up with my own pattern that I really like doing, and I like the result as well. I've made 5 of these now, and I keep thinking I'm going to do one to keep.

You can see in the photo of it on me that the ruffled edging makes a really nice neckline when you wear it. The black and white version is a mohair/cotton/nylon that I'd had around for a while. I hated to give it away, and may try to find something of a similar yarn in a color that's more me, and do one for me.

The others shown here are all in just Red Heart acrylic yarn. Since they're donated, you don't know how someone will care for it, and the decision was made to try to use easy care yarns unless someone donates some other nice yarn, and then an attempt will be made to make sure the recipient understands the care requirements.

Here are 3 more, and I didn't get a photo yet of the last one. I'll give you my pattern for the ruffle-edged ones. It is a knit and crochet combination.

Ruffle Shawl in Knit & Crochet

3 skeins Red Heart Super Saver yarn, or equivalent worsted weight yarn.
Size 11 knitting needles
Size 11 (L) crochet hook

CO 42 stitches
Row 1: K10, (yo, K2tog) 3 times. Repeat sequence twice, end K10.
Row 2: K3, P to last 3 st., K3.

Repeat these 2 rows for desired length of shawl body.
BO on Row 2.

Without breaking yarn, begin to crochet edging around shawl.

1st Round: DC in corner stitch, chain 2 (or 3 depending on what looks best, and is not tight), skip one, DC in next stitch. Repeat around, making 3 st at corners with ch1 between, to make a nice turning. Slip st to join to beginning. **Be sure to make ch spaces match the yo columns of the knitting, with DC matching the K2tog columns for the best look.**

2nd Round: Single crochet into the spaces created by the chain 2 (or 3) stitches, making 3 in each space between the DC in the previous row. Space them nicely, making more or fewer as is called for by your yarn. This will give you a nice solid edge to work your ruffle.

3rd Round: (Ruffle Round) Triple crochet into each SC in previous round, ch3 between each triple. Join to first tr. when you get around, and fasten off.

This makes a fairly wide edge, and does use a fair amount of yarn, so be prepared.

Narrow Pants – Marfy 0913 & Jalie 2682

2010-10-13T19:11:00.001-05:00

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This is what I wore on Thursday of the Textile Symposium.

This pattern (Marfy #0913) turned out to be 'the one' for the narrow pants I was looking for, as far as I'm concerned. It's one of the free patterns included with the 2009 catalog, and is for woven pants, with a zipper, back darts, and a faced waistband. I used knit fabric, a blue mystery knit for the first pair, and a brown ponte knit for the second.

I added 4" in length for the blue pair, 2" above the knee, and 2" below. For the brown pair, I added another 2" below the knee, and did a straight hem instead of the curved vent. I think I might like the curved vent with a little more length, so I may try it. For the brown pair, I actually added another inch for a hem allowance, and so they're really great with heels, but I wore them with flats for the Symposium, so I just turned up the hem, with looked much like a cuff since I'd topstitched the hem both at the hem edge, and at the lower edge.

On both pairs I did a Hollywood waistband without a zipper, but still using the back darts. I didn't have to cut the waist straight from the hip since the knit has plenty of stretch, and in fact I ended up taking about 3" out of the CF at the waist, tapering to the crotch.

I used Ann Rowley's Flat Seat Adjustment, and re-did it for a little more flatness on the second pair.

I added side-seam pockets on the second pair, which will be automatic in future, I think. I should have put them in the blue pair too, but I've been wearing them with my fleece vest, which has lots of pockets anyway.

The knit top with the blue pants is Jalie #2682, lengthened. I really like how it turned out, especially with the fleece vest which was the perfect color all around. I had thought of making a brown vest from the ponte knit, and making it cropped, but I'm not sure how that would look. What do you all think? I remember a very cropped jacket a few years ago (Vogue pattern?) that stopped just below the armscye, and definitely above the bust point. I like the idea of that, but I'm afraid it would look really strange. It wouldn't take much fabric to try it I guess....

Here are the brown pants again with an older Jalie 2005 Tee. It was the right color for the Collar and Cuff set.
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This is what I wore on Saturday of the Textile Symposium.
Friday I wore my Burda WOF ruched 'twirly' skirt and blouse. It was definitely the right venue to wear interesting things, as everyone else was wearing interesting things too, and we were all interested.

Textile Symposium – Market Place

2010-10-13T18:17:00.001-05:00

One of the highlights of the conference in my opinion, was the Market Place. As you might imagine, there were lots of very unique things available, and who wouldn't enjoy shopping in such an atmosphere? I was extremely abstemious, but I did have to make one purchase of a Nuno felted silk and wool collar and cuff set.
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The artist was Melissa Arnold, and she had lots and lots of wonderful things, and of course I think I could make my own version of some of them, and possibly this as well, but I was just so enamored of it that I thought I'd treat myself. I wore the set at the conference on Saturday, and got many, many comments and compliments on them.
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I love both pieces, and besides the way they look, it's nice and warm to wear, which was great since the conference was really almost cold most of the time. Too much air-conditioning for the weather, which was rare and perfect fall weather during the entire week.

Another plus was that the Nebraska Bead Association held its annual show and bazaar at the hotel on Saturday, and I did buy a few things there as well. I've not been to their show before, and it was quite large, with both finished items and everything you could desire to make your own I seem to be enamored of copper lately, so I got a few copper things, and we'll see what happens from there.

Details of the Marfy pants will be in my next post.

Textile Symposium II - Conference

2010-10-13T16:14:00.001-05:00

The papers and research presentations given at the Symposium are the main part of the event. (This link will open a PDF of the entire program.)

There were 4 rooms with 3-4 presentations each in the morning and twice as many in the afternoon of each day, plus a keynote speaker in the morning each day, so there was a lot of information to digest. Thursday evening there were gallery tours, as museums and galleries in Lincoln and a few in Omaha had a total of 33 textile-related shows in accord with the conference. There were two bus routs for the tours, which we coordinated, and quite a few were within walking distance. People were going in every direction, and it was quite a popular evening.

Friday morning was similar to Thursday, but in the afternoon people chose an off-site seminar or workshop from 14 choices and were bussed to their destination. I went to the one which included the Hillestad Textile Gallery, the clothing collection at UNL and the New Fibers talk. It was wonderful to see the collection up close, and we got to examine the suits slated for the next Hillestad exhibition, as well as a Ralph Rucci dress made with 'thread worms' that just happened to be on a mannequin in the collection storage room. When the afternoon sessions were over, there was a Reception at Sheldon Art Gallery, and then the Banquet and keynote speaker.

Saturday was the last official day, and there were sessions in the morning and afternoon, then a
Native American dance troupe exhibition and regalia display.

On Sunday there were two post-conference workshops:
Ralli Quilts: Treasures from Pakistan and India and
Feltmaking with Janice Arnold and Chris Martens

and one tour:
Native Americans of the Winnebago and Omaha Tribes.

This is a felt-making video made by Christine Martens.

Textile Symposium I – Conservation Tour

2010-10-13T15:30:00.002-05:00

I think I'm finally almost recovered from the intense experience that was the Textile Society of America's Biennial Symposium. As I told you before, I was the assistant Volunteer Coordinator, and so I attended almost the entire time. Since I mainly needed to be available in case any 'emergencies' arose, and in general things ran very smoothly, I was able to attend many of the sessions and presentations that appealed to me. Truly a fabulous opportunity, and I would recommend it to anyone who has the chance to do something like this. (The next one will be in the Fall of 2012 in Washington, D.C.)

I'm going to split up my posts on this, or it would be really long. I'm also sorry to say that the photos I took were all accidentally deleted. Not that I had that many, or that they were that great, but they were there anyway.

My first day was Wednesday, the 6th. I was a host on the Conserving Textiles on the Plains Tour. We left the Cornhusker Hotel (most of the events were held there) and went on a series of behind-the-scenes tours.

There were 2 other tours participants could choose.
Incomparable Art/Exceptional Spaces or
Nebraska's Colorful History.

There were also two workshops available.
Investigation of Natural Dyes: Reds and Purples or
Jacquard: A Loom of Opportunity

On to the Conservation Tour.

First stop was the International Quilt Study Center. I'd been there before, but this was different. We got to see the quilt conservation and storage areas, and saw some of the quilts that are stored flat instead of folded, because of their special traits. We saw volunteers re-folding quilts, which is done continually, so that each quilt is re-folded at least once in 2 years. Their photography studio was interesting as well, as it allows them to take the photos which are detailed enough that they can put on their website for off-site study. Of course we stopped at the gift shop on the way out, and quite a few books and other items accompanied us onto the bus.

Next stop was The Gerald Ford Center, which was a surprise to me. I'd not been there before, but assumed it was dedicated to honoring/explaining Ford's presidency. It does have that as a small part of its function, but its main purpose is as a conservation center for Objects, Paper and Art. It originally was designed to include textile conservation, but there was so little call for it that the textile lab was given over to art instead. As you might imagine, people are less willing to pay the conservation costs for textiles than they are for artwork that needs repair. Sad, but true. The facility is both a Regional Center and the State's official conservation arm. It's locked at all times, so I'm unsure how one arranges a tour if you're interested.

The last stop was DeSoto Bend and the Steamship Bertrand site.
It's both a wildlife refuge, and a repository for the artifacts recovered in the excavation of the ship almost exactly 100 years after it sank in the Missouri River. It hit a snag, and then the river shifted, as it often did, and the site was lost. When it was discovered, almost all of the original cargo was still on board, covered in mud, sand and water.
Since no oxygen had gotten to the 4000 artifacts, things were remarkably well-preserved. The Bertrand was headed for the gold fields in Montana, and thus had a lot of tools and basic living equipment on board, but also shoes,, hats, clothing, fabric, buttons, sewing supplies, etc. We all drooled over the buttons and some of the fabric as well as a couple of very fancy hatpins.

When we came back to Lincoln, everyone got off back at the Quilt Center for a reception. I went home and went to choir practice and to bed early for an early start on Thursday.

Symposium Here I Come

2010-10-05T22:29:00.000-05:00

Yes, tomorrow I begin attending the Textile Society of America's Biennial Symposium. It's being held here in Lincoln, Nebraska, and registration actually began this afternoon, but the first thing I'm involved in is the Conserving Textiles on the Plains tour. I'm excited about it, and it should be a very interesting day as we go from the International Quilt Study Center to Omaha and The Gerald Ford Conservation Center, then on to DeSoto Bend and the Steamship Bertrand site.

I've been working on narrow knit pants (in lieu of leggings), and finally have something I'm pretty happy with. I've made two iterations of Marfy #0913, the pants shown in this drawing below, in black, pink and lavender. I made the first pair after doing a Flat Seat Adjustment, and adding 4" to the length (2"above the knee, and 2" below). I did the curved hem vent, as shown.

The second pair are the ones I'll repeat. I added side seam pockets, and re-did the FSA, making it a little more-so, and added another 2" to the length below the knee, plus an inch for a hem allowance. The brown ponte knit was a good fabric choice, as they seem to have good recovery. I may do them without the extra hem allowance next time, just adding the 6" total to the length, and turning up an inch. These kind of puddle on my feet, which is nice too.

I'm planning to wear them tomorrow, so there may even be photos. It's going to be an early start for me though, as I have to be downtown by 7:45am.

Trendy Top & Pant

2010-09-27T22:28:00.001-05:00

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Well, I think it's kind of trendy, anyway. I've been thinking about the whole leggings or no-leggings question since it's been on Stitcher's Guild for a while, and I went so far as to buy a pair of leggings and wear them around the house. I love them for the comfort, but I haven't quite been able to get out of the house in them, and I think that's probably a good thing. I like the general idea though, so I thought maybe I'd try some very narrow pants. This is what I came up with, along with the top from the print knit I got in California.

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I haven't quite decided if it's better with or without the belt. I think it needs something, and I thought of pockets or something, but I hate to break up the print, as I think it's very graceful, but perhaps the belt breaks it up anyway?

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The top is FSG#1960 once again, but with the funnelneck from Christine Jonsen's Travel Basic #3 added. I also lengthened it by a couple inches, as I think it is imperative that a top worn with these pants must fall below the rear.

Since the pants are a kind of trial pair, I used some old doubleknit fabric I had, and pulled out a couple of simple knit pant patterns. This one (Stretch&Sew #100) has an 11.5" hem circumference. I faced the hem, and then used a twin needle to stitch around once as an edge-stitch, and once at hem length. Together, this gives it a little bit of a band effect, and I remember seeing this kind of finish on Givenchy knit pants in the 1980's. I would think about putting a vent in the hem if I make more of these, which I think I will. I think a fairly high spandex content would be appropriate as well. This fabric has none, and I don't expect it to hold up terribly well, at least in the knees. I'm basically happy with the style though. They could be a little narrower toward the thigh, and that's something I may experiment with. I feel comfortable wearing these however, which is a good change from leggings.

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California Fabrics

2010-09-27T22:07:00.001-05:00

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I should have posted this a while ago, but here are the fabrics I bought in California.

Clockwise from Lower Left, with proposed uses:

Crocodile Vinyl - A purse.
Brown with Green Print Poly Knit - Top.
Taupe & Mauve Silks - Silk Tee top or tops. I'm thinking of color-blocking, as the blend of these colors is truly lovely.
Gold/Black Satin Print - Dress (with black silk chiffon.)

I didn't take a photo of the black silk chiffon, as I think you all pretty much know what that looks like, and how well black fabric photographs. I've already made up the knit print, and I like it. Since I'm always cold, poly knits are not a problem for me, and I loved this print. It makes me think of ginkgo leaves, but it's actually some kind of flower or weed (I hesitate to say a thistle).

The crocodile vinyl is a nice weight, and it has a very nice knit backing. I've seen a lot of vinyl on this order, and this is an extra-nice piece. I also just saw a bunch of purses in a booth at an art fair yesterday, and I think I can do much better. She had one pretty cute bag with a faux-fur panel that I'm thinking of, though.

Finally, here is the fabric I got for my kitchen chairs, etc. It doesn't really have any pink in it. I think that's coming through from underneath somehow. It's just blue and white. I also put in a photo of it in my kitchen, which makes it look kind of washed-out, but it gives you an idea of what it's got to go with.

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California Round-up

2010-09-13T22:43:00.000-05:00

Typical gorgeous California photo, but I took this one myself in Laguna Beach where Pearle and I used to spend the winters. We hadn't traveled for a long time now, and it was very interesting to return. It certainly brought back memories of many good times.

Of course there has been some shopping. Besides the fabric which was shipped to me, I bought some yarn in Laguna Beach for a scarf to wear this winter with my cashmere coat,

and I bought some shoes. I happened to really luck out on the shoe front, and you can see what I'm trying to cram into my suitcase.

Vacation Knitting

2010-09-13T22:32:00.003-05:00

I've been doing some knitting while I've been visiting in California. After finishing up the third pair of heavy socks for my brother which I began on the plane out here, I began a Birds Nest Smoke Ring. You can see the pattern photo below.

It's almost finished, and I think I may be able to finish it tomorrow on the plane, and during a layover. I'm using Peruvian Baby Silk from elann. It's baby alpaca and silk, and really soft. It's been fun to knit so far. You can see the provisional cast-on at the right. There will be a picot edge there when it's done.

A Sewing Lunch

2010-09-11T11:49:00.001-05:00

Lisa, Liana, Kathi, Sue
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We had a wonderful time yesterday at Sue's lovely home. It was such a treat to get to meet Sue and Kathi, and yes, we did talk sewing, but also just a wide-ranging conversation such as you might have with old friends anywhere. I do consider them 'old friends' since we've been sewing together for a long time online. Sue thought about 8 years, and I think that's probably about right. It certainly doesn't seem that long.

Sue's home is just beautiful. We saw her sewing room, of course, and 'consulted' on a skirt she's cutting out of a lovely crinkle cotton fabric. It's going to be really nice. We had our lunch al fresco. These California girls really know how to live it up! I wish you all could have been there too.

One thing we discussed was the LA Fashion District, and we found out that Kathi is quite the expert on it. She wrote an article on it for PatternReview, and we all agreed that next time we go (and yes, there really must be a next time) we'll make sure she is our guide. I have to show you the goody bag she brought me, with black and brown foldover elastic and white picot elastic, and the most darling snips wrapped up like a fancy Japanese package. The bag is pretty cute, too! Thanks Kathi!

You're All Invited To Lunch!

2010-09-08T11:52:00.002-05:00

Seems I've had this internet sewing friend thing going for quite some time now, and it's something I wouldn't trade for almost anything. You guys are the best!

Just yesterday, DrSue, a SG and PR member of long-standing, invited us all to a potluck luncheon on Friday (Sept. 10th) in her orchard in North Tustin! I'm very excited, and if any of you can make it, just let me know, and I will have her send directions to you.

Kind of short notice, but sometimes that's how it works out. Do try and come if you're in the area, please.

On another note, Lisa and I are going to the LA Fashion District today to look at fabric, etc. That is our plan at this moment anyway. We are taking her Eames chair into LA for repairs, and wanted to try to do both things at once.

My poor kitty is staying home alone with only the loving care of my brother and Dad to make the time pass. The Peep is used to going out all night (fenced back yard that he can't get out of) and so it's been pretty boring for him to stay in all the time. They were wary of letting him out since he might decide he wasn't coming back in while they were there. He can get into the garage through a cat door, so he has shelter, but still... Last night he was insistent with my brother that he WAS going out, no matter how stupid Chris might be, since he was obviously so dumb he couldn't even tell what a cat wanted. I finally said he should let him out and my Dad could let him in this morning sometime. Well, he went out like a shot, and less than half an hour later, he wanted back in desperately. I'm not sure if he suddenly realized that getting back in might be about as hard as getting out was, and thought he'd better go while the going was good, or what. Who knows what a cat's plans are? He's had a little outing though, and is probably happier and more content. I'm missing him, and I am pretty sure he's missing me too!

California (Fabric) Dreaming

2010-09-06T00:11:00.001-05:00

Upper Newport Bay and the Back Bay are great bird-watching spots. It's so close we've been running over quite often, and spotted 2 Egrets and a Great Blue Heron only this evening, to say nothing of gulls and many smaller birds.

It's been so nice to hear all the ideas for where Lisa and I should go fabric shopping while I'm out here in California visiting her. Thank you all for thinking of us! We may not get everywhere we'd like to, but so far we've been to two fabric shops and one yarn shop. We are hoping to get to the Fashion District in LA, so I'll let you know if we make it.

The first fabric shop we hit was Button Boutique in Newport Beach (no website that I can find.) It's a very small place with gorgeous fabric of extremely high quality, and fantastic buttons, of course. There's a dressmaker on site, and the woman who runs the fabric part used to manage Left Bank Fabrics, which was a fantastic place also in Newport Beach. When they quit, she started doing this. I used to go to Left Bank way back when. It was rather famous, and for good reason. This lady knows her fabric.

Today we stopped at what is a home-dec fabric shop, but a really amazing one. It's called Home Fabrics and is in Lake Forest. I bought a few things there, but since they are being shipped, I can't show you yet. Lisa had told me we would go here before I came, since she knew I wanted to recover my kitchen chairs, and perhaps do a valance as well. They had the perfect thing. My kitchen is basically blue and white. I have dark blue countertops, white walls, dark blue with white pindot roman shades, and white cafe curtains. I used to have wallpaper with narrow blue lines and a fairly colorful bird border, but I recently changed it to plain white. Since I do have dark counters and oak cabinetry, I have white appliances to lighten things up, and thought white walls would be my best bet. I like them a lot, but now it's time for the chairs, etc.

The fabric we found is a gorgeous blue floral on white. It has more of a 'drawn' feeling to it than a lot of florals, and it was quite the bargain so I got enough for chairs, valance, perhaps an apron and placemats, etc.

That's all I was really looking for, but I found two other pieces that called my name as well. One is a dull gold satin with a sketchy blackish abstract print. I want to make a dressy dress from it. The other is really different. It's an unusually nice alligator vinyl on a knit backing. It's dark brown, and will become a purse.

We also went to the knitting night at Yarn Lady Friday night, and are planning to stop in again this coming Friday. They have a very nice group of ladies there, and there was even pie! How can we resist?

I finished another pair of hunting socks for my brother. I did the first sock on the plane, and the second one since. These are a 2-yarn blend like the last pair, except deep green for the plain yarn instead of navy, but with the same variegated sock yarn along with it. 3 pair should hold him for a while, but they're a great mindless project. perfect for travel knitting.

I'm posting from Pacific time, but my blog is set on Central time, so it's only about 10:15pm here right now. It's funny to see the time on the blogger site versus the time on the computer itself.

Birthday Knitting

2010-08-31T15:33:00.000-05:00

I have to tell about my birthday party. I wasn't going to mention my birthday, but I haven't had a 'girls' birthday party for years and years. I decided that since my church knitting group meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays, and my birthday was on the 5th Monday, I would just invite them over for Birthday Knitting.

We are a small group, and there were only 4 of us last night, and it was all pretty low key, but we had a really good time. The highlights were Pretzel M&Ms and Ghirardelli Brownies. There was also a tour of my home. I don't know about you, but I love seeing other people's homes, and the best way to get to see theirs is to show them yours. It's also a good way to make oneself do the housework.

So I would suggest that you all have a Textile Party, whether it's a birthday or not. It's just fun to get together and talk while you work on your project.

Hunting Socks & A Trip

2010-08-31T12:08:00.000-05:00

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Paton's Kroy Multi Sock Yarn and Premier Merit 100%Wool Worsted Yarn

I used the pattern for Heavy Socks from the Spin-Off Socks book to make two pairs of hunting socks for my brother. I had never thought of knitting socks for him, but I happened to ask him the other day if he thought his wife, my darling sister-in-law, might want some socks. She's always cold, and there's nothing nicer than wool socks if that's the case. He said he didn't know, but sadly said that he would like some. I felt terrible that I'd never even thought of it.

I've used the Socks book a lot, and all of the patterns in it have been good ones. This is a really fast knitting pattern. The hardest thing for me was that it calls for Bulky yarn, and I didn't really have anything suitable for a man's socks. The pair at the top is the second pair I made, and I like them best. I added a sock weight yarn to a worsted weight wool yarn for a prettier look. The pair below are a bulky yarn alone, and while they're okay, I find them a little thin for 'heavy' socks. He's planning to wear another pair under them with his boots for elk hunting in October.

Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick&Quick

The pattern calls for size 10 needles, but I'm using size 9, and you cast on 32 stitches, so you can see why they work up so quickly. Apparently a lot of people use leftover Lopi yarn for this pattern, but I've never knitted with Lopi, so no leftovers here.

I'm going to visit my sister for 2 weeks tomorrow, so I'm not sure if I'll be blogging. Maybe so, as she has lots of nice things planned. She's in Southern California, where Pearle and I used to spend the winters, so I'm looking forward to seeing how things have changed in 10 years or so, and to seeing some favorite places again. I have The Huntington and The Getty high on my list, along with the L.A. Arboretum and Descanso Gardens. Naturally we'll be heading for a few fabric and yarn shops as well. Her LYS is Yarn Lady in Laguna Hills, and I'm looking forward to it. I should say that when I was last there, the Getty Museum was only in Malibu, so it will be interesting to see the new one. Big plans, and I'm hoping we'll be able to do at least some of the things on my list, personal energy permitting. Perhaps we'll just end up doing a lot of basking in the sun instead. Either way, I'm looking forward to it.

Textiles and Settlement: From Plains Space to Cyber Space

2010-08-20T14:42:00.001-05:00

Above: Robert Hillestad's work in the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery in the Department of Textiles, Clothing & Design at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Photograph courtesy of the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery

I'm the Asst. Volunteer Coordinator for the Textile Society of America's Biennial Symposium which is being held here in Lincoln, Nebraska, Oct. 6-9. We are looking for volunteers to fill a time slot of anywhere from a few hours to all day. Mostly, it's being available (either at the Cornhusker Hotel or another venue, or on a bus going between) to help the attendees know where they should be, or if they are on the right bus, etc. Also registration, or handing out box lunches. It varies, and you can choose.

What do you get for doing this? You get to attend the session/class of your choice FREE. Since the cost of the registration to be able to attend even one class as a regular attendee is several hundred dollars, this is quite a nice deal, if you are interested in any of the offerings.

For the schedule and description of classes download Preliminary Program PDF so you can see what it's all about. Please let me know ASAP if you are interested, as when slots and classes fill, they are full.

Here's the Welcome page of the Schedule and description to give you a small taste of what you're likely to find at the Symposium.

Once again, I am only the Asst. Volunteer Coordinator, and if you want to attend the Symposium as a regular attendee, you must register at the Textile Society's site. It would be a wonderful opportunity for some truly wide-ranging, yet very specialized textile learning, and worth every penny, so go for it if you can.

WELCOME

A dedicated steering committee of local planners and national TSA board members have been working since August 2008 to insure that the wealth of resources located in this central region will be accessible to you. Our pre and post symposium tours and workshops will entice you to arrive on Tuesday and depart on Monday so you can take advantage of at least one tour and one workshop.

In Omaha, plan to see the outstanding exhibitions mounted at the University of Nebraska-Omaha Weber Fine Arts Building Gallery and travel downtown to the historic Old Market district to visit the Hot Shops 1301 Gallery, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and the Jun Kaneko studio and Kaneko: Open Space For Your Mind. We have included these exhibitions in the pre-symposium art tour, as well as an extraordinary private collection in Lincoln. In the textile conservation tour you have an opportunity to see some of the breathtaking Nebraska landscape as you travel to DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge to see the Steamboat Bertrand exhibition. Native Prairie distinguishes the history tour, which will include a visit to Homestead National Monument.

Following the symposium participate in a guided tour of the Winnebago and Omaha communities. Our Saturday plenary session speaker, Judi M. gaiashkibos, has graciously agreed to journey with you for this tour. But, if you have been reading Willa Cather since your childhood, you will not want to miss this opportunity to get to her home in Red Cloud on the arts and letters tour.

We offer four hands-on workshops, all held on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. Explore natural dyes with Dominique Cardon and Elena Phipps; digital Jacquard design with Julie Holyoke of Lisio in Florence; felt making with Janice Arnold and Christine Martens; and ralli quilt practice with Tricia Stoddard.

In partnership with the Sheldon Museum of Art, Saturday night we are offering a free screening of The Desert of Forbidden Art, an exciting new documentary about the rescue of 40,000 artworks sheltered at a remote desert museum in Uzbekistan narrated by Ben Kingsley and Sally Field.

Sunday offers a full day of post symposium activities.
Use our Facebook page to help plan your trip and hook-up with room-mates, investigate restaurants, and link to maps we have designed to help you get acquainted with Lincoln destinations.

Wendy Weiss and Diane Vigna, co-chairs

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM ~ SUBJECT TO CHANGE ~ WATCH FOR UPDATES

Cosmos Knit/Crochet Shell

2010-08-13T12:53:00.000-05:00

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I finished the knitting and crocheting on this shell earlier this summer, but needed to do a fix on the armholes which were showing too much of me in the front. I like armholes which are pretty trimly fitted around the shoulder joint, and when they're not, it's just unattractive. I've had this happen on tanks/shells before, and the easiest fix is to just crochet a few rows where you need it. On this shell, since there are crocheted motifs in front, and all the edges are crocheted, that's no problem. I started about halfway between the side and shoulder seams on the back, and went to the same height in the front, then back to the side seam, so basically I added a wider 'slice' in the front than the back. It seems to fit in a much nicer way now, and I really like it.

The yarn is Cosmos by S. Charles Collezione, and the pattern is theirs as well. I got both the yarn and pattern from elann.com.

You crochet the 3 square motifs, then knit 2 side fronts and the back, stitch them all together, then crochet in the round at the bottom, making a 'beading' row to run your belt through. Very simple really, but I think it's cute.

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Marfy #1128 Roses & Caramel Finished

2010-08-06T22:18:00.002-05:00

Photo Link (The link will take you to the first photo in the group, then you can click through on Next to see all of them, larger if you'd like.)

I finished the Roses & Caramel dress last night, and I have to say, I'm very pleased with it, and especially with the fit. I've never had any luck with this style of dress, until this pattern, and it's fun to have one actually fit me, and my shape. I do begin to think that perhaps this style is not my most flattering though, as it clearly reveals my very short-waisted figure, rather than disguising it a little bit, as I usually try to do. I do have one excuse though. I still am not able to stand up completely straight, and so I'm bent over at the waist enough that it shortens that area even more than usual. That's my story anyway. I can't wait until I can really stretch again.

Thank you Mardel, for the fantastic fabric! I really love it.

I used Roberta Carr's instructions for Bias Facings on this dress, and since the matelassé is fairly thick, I used a silk crepe de chine for the bias strips. I thought the colors went together fairly well, and it was scrap I had left from the contrast for my first Marfy suit, so that was fun too. Carr says that this kind of facing is very soft, and gives very little support. I would agree, but in this case, the fabric has plenty of body, it seemed like a good choice, and I have to say I like the finished effect. It's a lot of hand sewing, but I like handwork, and it didn't really take too long. Here's a shot of the facing inside the front neckline, and a close-up.

You turn your edge over, hand baste near the fold, then measure the edge, and attach a same size bias strip near the fold, RSU, with the edge turned under. Then press and shape carefully so the other edge fits, and stitch it, turning the edge under. Remove your basting, and you're done. Very soft and flexible, and very comfortable against the body.

I had to include a photo of my invisible zipper. You can see the front dart on the left.

And of course, most important of all, The Shoes.

It's going to be a very hot day tomorrow (93, with high humidity) and I don't know if the wedding is in an air conditioned church, so a cotton dress will be perfect. Now to go wrap the gift.

I'm really pleased with how this dress turned out, and this is the kind of dress I could imagine wearing all day with perfect comfort, which is always a plus. I can hardly wait to do another one, and summer is moving right along, so I'd better hurry,or it will be back to sleeves, which I guess would be okay anyway.

I want to thank everyone for the very kind hair comments. I'm really thrilled with the new 'do', and it's nice to know you like it too.

Dress in Progress

2010-08-01T15:04:00.001-05:00

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Here's an early view of Marfy #1128, Roses&Caramel. I got the zipper put in this morning, and thought I'd better check the fit once again. I think it's going to be fine, especially when I don't have all the post-surgical underpinnings around my middle. I'm getting really tired of that, I can tell you! But the dress looks like it should be fine. The neckline will be folded over artistically, I hope, and there will be a finish on all the raw edges. I'm leaning more toward a belt out of the jute ribbon rather than a bow at the back neck, but there's time to decide yet.

My sister is staying with me helping me while I'm recovering, and she took the photos. Here's a back view.

The hem is just pinned, with a guess at the length. I have a tendency to go a little too long, so I'm trying to avoid that, and am now thinking it's maybe a little too short. That's a decision I can make a few days from now, I guess.

I was right that the 20" zipper made a world of difference in the ease with which I can get the dress on, and was a very good change. It's an invisible zipper, and it went in so beautifully that I just have to crow a bit. Even with my lovely ne, modern, computerized sewing machine, I still use the pink and blue plastic foot my Mom bought years ago when invisibles first came out, and it works better than anything, IMO. It looks like this, except mine's old enough that it's pale pink and blue.

I'm planning on wearing the dress next Saturday, so I need to hop to it, and I didn't get anything done yesterday. They were putting a new sliding glass door in my house, and I didn't want to go work in the basement while they were upstairs in my bedroom, as the running up and down 2 flights of stairs numerous times a day is a problem right now. So, a day 'wasted', although I'm glad the door is in, or mostly in anyway. The trim has gone to be stained, and they'll stain the inside of the door once it's cooler out, and we are able to open the windows to let the smell out without letting in 90 degree air with 50% humidity. I've been waiting on this since winter, and there have been so many hang-ups, I'm really glad we're on the home stretch.

Concertina Socks & A Dress in Progress

2010-07-31T14:01:00.000-05:00

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Here's the finished pair of Concertina Lace socks. They were done several days ago, and so are probably the fastest pair of socks I've ever made, because I've had plenty of time to just sit and knit. I think they're kind of cute, and they'll be fine this winter when it's cold.

My big thing right now is that I'm working on a dress. It's a re-make for me of a Marfy pattern (#1128) that I've made once before. You can see the pattern below. It's basically a really nice sheath dress, and I've thought it might be a TNT for me.

No pictures of the new version yet, but this time I'm doing it in a gorgeous and fairly beefy cotton matelasse (Valentino Atelier) print that was a very kind gift from a dear sewing friend. She'd made a skirt of it, and gave me what was left, which was a generous amount, and plenty to make the dress. I'm always amazed at how little fabric Marfy patterns take compared to the Big4. This was 60" fabric, and it took only one dress length, plus facings I think. I had planned to use self bias to turn the edges, but now I'm thinking of facing it, so we'll see. I'm doing it without the sleeves, and apparently (after the first try-on) without the collar. I'm going to do one of those trendy gathered/pleated necklines that just fold under. It's a print, so it's got plenty going on without a contrast collar. I found some jute-like ribbon that I'm hoping to incorporate somehow, possibly as a bow (big surprise there), but a flat one. I bought a longer zipper yesterday than is called for. It asks for a side zip, about 9" long, but it's a chore getting into and out of it, so I decided to throw caution to the wind and put in a 20". That should do the trick.

This is the first real garment project I've done for a long time, and I'm getting excited about it. It's nice to feel like sewing again.

More Socks & Changing My Mind

2010-07-25T12:49:00.000-05:00

We all change our mind, and I think I change mine perhaps more often than most. The draped top I was working on finally got to the trying-on stage, and I've decided that the checked part has to go. It's just not me, and seems to be contributing the dowdy factor in this instance. I love what I ended up doing with the sleeves (a wrapped sleeve) and I think using the green knit for the whole thing will be so much better, and much more me. The checked fabric front seemed to be giving it an 'apron' look to it that just wouldn't go away, and was pretty bad. Now I'm wondering if I can just use the checked piece as a pattern for a new front. Probably it will work as a starting point, but the woven/knit differences will require some changes I'm sure. Oh well, I'm starting to like it at least. Now to go rip off the checked travesty.

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I finished the first Concertina Lace sock yesterday, and it's very cute, although I think the stripes are kind of awful. I shouldn't buy variegated or painted sock yarn, as it always looks great in the skein, and almost always is deeply disappointing when knitted up. I'm just not a horizontally striped knit kind of person, at least not socks. I can see that this yarn gives a really cute faux-fair-isle effect, but still, not me, or at least not in this color combination, although I love the colors.

Draping a Top

2010-07-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

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I decided it would be interesting to try draping a top on my dressform. I see so many things that appear to be done without a pattern (probably not really, but you know what I mean) and although this quickly changed into something very different than what I'd originally had in mind, it's still been a fun project. The check is a crinkled woven, and the solid is a knit. I decided to just 'go for it' and have been cutting and pinning with abandon. I've been basting since I took the photo yesterday, but it will be awhile before I can actually try it on and get a feel for how it's going to look, since I still have some 'things' I'm wearing around me since the surgery. But, since it's on my form, it's probably going to be close enough to make the fit tweak-able.

I'm not sure I'm crazy about it, especially now that I've seen the photo. It definitely needs something at the neckline, which I had planned from the beginning. I wanted an asymmetric neckline, but I'm not sure about the angle of this. I will have to see. The sleeves are a definite experiment, and may change a lot before they're done. I have to get it basted before I can take it off the form though. I started it a couple weeks ago, and now I'm not able to do much on it at a time, as I still have no stamina whatsoever. That is the most annoying part of this whole thing.

I have been doing some knitting, and finished a pair of socks. I used Serenity Sock Yarn from JoAnn's, and the Lacy Arrow pattern from SpinOff's Socks book. I have used this pattern several times, (it's the center photo on the cover) and it always turns out nicely, and is interesting to knit. I have to say that I think it would be better in a solid color, or at least one not so wildly striped, but it's a fun yarn. I've started another pair in the Concertina Lace Socks
pattern by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer.

I'm up to the heel flap on the first one, and I have to say her heel method seems nice, but is kind of fiddly. It looks like it will be nice and cushy, though.

I want to thank you all for the very nice wishes and comments after my last post. I am attempting to find out what part of Sweden my ancestors are from. I am Swedish on both sides, and I know I used to hear about Malmö(?) as being a place in family history, but I never paid enough attention to know just what it had to do with things. There are relatives who've done extensive genealogy research though, and there's a big family reunion every August, so I may have to find out a few things this year. I do remember finding it very interesting several years ago when a sewer from Sweden posted some things on PatternReview, and her figure was almost exactly like mine. Aha! I thought. My alteration/figure problems aren't what I usually read about people dealing with, or at least not all of them at once, but she seemed to be doing all the things I have to do. Somehow, that seemed encouraging or something.

Nothing Costs 4 Cents Anymore

2010-07-18T20:19:00.001-05:00

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I thought you'd enjoy seeing this card, which was about half-full of snaps when I got it. It was part of my grandmother's sewing things. I've no idea when she might have bought it. Although I do remember Penney's having a sewing and fabric department, I don't think snaps were 4 cents then. Now they're apparently about $1.50 for 10 of this size. One thing about sewing notions like this, they don't get outdated or too old to use, so 'snap' them up if they are offered.

I got my brother's bread machine in our family's 'Frivolous Appliance Round-Robin', and I'm having fun with it. Like most people, their bread machine was used a lot when they got it, and then less, until it finally sat there, unloved. So, I said I'd take it for a while, and they could take an extra KitchenAid mixer I had on hand. Everyone's happy, and we are storing new things in our kitchens instead of the old, boring ones.

My favorite bread so far is called Franskbröd, (correction courtesy of Mia) supposedly the most popular bread in Scandinavia. It reminds me strongly of my Swedish grandmother's homemade bread that we could never duplicate. I've made it a couple of times now, and everyone agrees with me. This is NOT a photo of it however. This is an egg bread with poppyseed which is also very good.

I'm recovering from some minor surgery right now, although it's never minor when it's you, is it? Actually, it was my first surgery of any kind. It's been a week now, and I'm beginning to feel a bit like myself again, so I'm pleased about that.

ASG Program & Trip

2010-06-09T11:43:00.000-05:00

I never did report on the program I did for the Omaha ASG. It was such fun! What a great group of ladies. It's never boring to talk sewing, is it?

It was a rainy evening, but that didn't dampen any spirits. I took along a large group of garments that had begun with a SWAP I did several years ago. I've been adding things to my wardrobe since then that still coordinate with the original group of garments, as well as replacing items that needed it as I went along. So we had lots to talk about and discuss.

They seemed to enjoy seeing my shoes as well, and we're talking about a Shoe Workshop sometime, which I think would be so much fun!

I happened to be there on a special night as well. A longtime member was divesting herself of her stash, as she was moving, and health issues were also coming into play. There were tables and tables of fabric, patterns, notions, books, etc. All were first-come, first-served with donations asked for the ASG group. She lived only a couple blocks from the old Pendleton Outlet, and guess where a lot of her fabric came from? Now, how much did she have? They counted as they put it out, and there were 700 pieces. Yes, SEVEN HUNDRED individual pieces of fabric, and almost all were at least 3 yards, and most were larger. I don't think I'm quite in that class yet, but it does make you stop and take a breath, and just think about what you're collecting, and what will happen to it. And yes, I took a few pieces. I let the members go first, though.

Also, the Omaha ASG is doing a bus trip to the Kansas City area on Saturday, June 26th. I'm going along, and we'll be at various fabric stores, textile shops, etc. in KC, St. Joseph and Overland Park. I'm not sure what all we'll see, but it sounds terrific. They have a few places left, and it's only $25 for non-members. Quite the bargain, so if you're in the Omaha area, come on along!

The clean-out of my parents home is going well, I think. We had a big tag sale last weekend, and are going to repeat this weekend. We keep finding more stuff my Mom had tucked away. Today I am finally feeling slightly recovered from all the work we've been doing over the last 2 months. It's been every day, mostly evenings and late into the night, and it's been some time since I did so much lifting and carrying, etc. Last night I went over there and met a young man who was hoping to buy my Mom's sewing machine for his mother. It's an older Necchi, and he wanted me to show him that it worked. I had planned to test the machine earlier, but honestly I'd forgotten with everything else we were doing, and so it was a cold test, but that machine came through with flying colors. Made me think I should have kept it, but no, I don't need another back-up machine. He got quite the bargain, though, and I hope his mother likes it.

Questions & Answers (I hope)

2010-06-09T11:22:00.001-05:00

I try to answer questions that are posed in the Comments for this blog, and sometimes I answer in the Comment section, and sometimes I do a post. This time it's a post.

You may remember the Twisted Binding I've done on a couple of tank tops. The original post was far enough back that I thought adding a comment there would be unhelpful to anyone who had seen it then. these are photos of two garments of mine with Twisted Binding. They are both knits, the first is a fairly beefy cotton knit, the second is a very thin mesh knit.

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Suannah from Adventures in Dressmaking said:

This is great! I hope to do a tutorial on a twisted hem edge soon myself. I see that you can use the straight grain on a knit, but do you think bias would be better for a lightweight woven? Hm... (and also, I assume you would press under 1/2" or so on the back before stitching in the ditch?)

A: You will want to use bias with a woven, but I would not press under the edge on the back for two reasons.

It won't ravel anyway, being on the bias.
You're going to have a lot of bulk (comparatively) from the twisting and the edge will not be nice and flat anyway, as it would be if it were a non-twisted binding. I think it would be overkill to press it and attempt to turn it under as you stitch, and I don't think you'd get the result you would like. Just trim the raw edge so it's even and unobtrusive. You can probably trim very closely.

joanier asked this on the Olive Green Lingerie post:

Do you mind if I ask what panty pattern you use? I assume that they are comfortable or you wouldn't be making them. They almost look as if they don't have elastic in the legs. That's my next undertaking to make some panties but am trying now to decide on a style and pattern.

A: You're correct that there is no elastic in the legs. I've found this to be very comfortable, and to be no problem in wearing. It works better in some fabrics, although I've been surprised occasionally by what works better than I'd thought. In general, you want a knit with a good lycra content so it has nice, snappy recovery. Often the 'heavier' knits are better, although mesh seems to be great in most cases as well, and that's almost the antithesis of 'heavy'.

I use an old Stretch&Sew pattern, #2046. I think it's OOP, although it seems to be available with a different number. There's nothing unusual about it, it's a very basic pattern, and I think you could do very well with almost any basic panty pattern.

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Giving a Program to Omaha ASG

2010-05-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

I'm getting ready to give a program on Wardrobing and Sewing With A Plan (SWAP) to the Omaha chapter of ASG on Thursday. I'm going to take quite a few garments as well as some wardrobe planning methods and ideas, so it should be interesting I hope. They've asked me to bring some of my covered shoes as shown in Threads as well. I'm kind of excited about it. It's always fun to talk sewing and clothes.

Wardrobing has always held a fascination for me, as I think it does for most sewers. After all, isn't it really all about the clothes? I really only have ever had myself to sew for, and I have to say it's been nice in a way. Yes, it would be fun to do things for a daughter so I could try all the cute, trendy things that I'm a little bit past, but then again, I don't have to share my sewing time across more than one wardrobe. I guess that makes me a little bit like the Selfish Seamstress, although possibly (I hope) not quite as blatant about it. I do love her haikus, though. Very funny stuff.

Speaking of SWAP, I have to give a big shout-out to my dear friend Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic, who won the Grand Prize in the SWAP Contest at Stitcher's Guild on Artisan's Square. She definitely deserved the win, with the gorgeous work she's done, and I think she's surpassed herself. Be sure and take a look.

Okay, What Is This?

2010-05-17T19:37:00.001-05:00

As you know, I and my siblings are clearing out my parents' home since they moved to a retirement apartment. They are still loving it, by the way. Huge success.

Anyway, we are running across various things that look like they might be either collectible, valuable, or something. However, we can't always figure out just what we have. I thought I'd just call on the expertise I know is available from all of you, and ask about some things.

You may click on this link to see Larger Scale Images of all the photos here.

First is a three-cornered ceramic container. It could be a cachepot, jardiniere, vase, pot, or ??? The mark on the bottom is Weller Pottery. It has a different flower on each side. The flaws you see in the photo are just about invisible IRL (just like on our garment photos, right?) So, if you know anything about this, even just a little bit so we could do a better online search, I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know.

Next is a creamy ceramic bowl with a lid. It has an interesting texture, but I think it must be ceramic. The pine cone design is pretty, and there are no markings on it.

This vase is a gorgeous soft gray/green which I'm not sure comes across. It is marked Wien Keramos (Vienna Ceramics), Made in Austria on the bottom.

This Little Miss toy sewing machine is one thing I'm definitely keeping. I don't remember seeing it when I was growing up, and I'm not sure if it was just tucked away or if my Mom got it somewhere later. I have a pink toy sewing machine that I received for Xmas when I was pretty small, so maybe she kept hers put away. It looks very pristine.

Olive Green Lingerie

2010-05-13T17:56:00.000-05:00

Photo Link

I've had this bra partially done for some time now, and finally was able to find time to finish it up and make a few pairs of panties to go with it. The lace and findings are all from Fabric Depot. I used foldover elastic for the straps as well as the upper edge, and it worked very well. Since I certainly do not need stretchy straps, I inserted twill tape into the straps, and also into the upper bridge piece. It's covered with 3 small ribbon roses, but it's the same folded elastic as the straps.

I dyed the stretch lace, picot elastic, closures and powernet lining. I had enough of the stretch lace to do a waistband on one pair of panties, and I used the foldover elastic for another. The duller green pair is actually a very wide piece of lycra with knitted-on stretch lace at the top and bottom. It was billed as stretch lace, but it's not very lacy. I like it, though. I realized while sewing them that I should probably have used it for the front only and made 2 pair, instead of piecing the back with the bra fabric. It's not quite as striking a demarcation in real life as it appears in the photo.

Photo Link

The print pair is a very soft mesh knit that I made a Jalie summer top from. I'm planning a camisole from the scraps as well. I would recommend this type of fabric for anything next to the skin, including nightwear. The stretch lace band is the same pattern lace as the dyed green, but this came this color in my Fabric Depot lace bundle.

You can see a closer photo of the bra below, and
more photos here.

Photo Link

There's Always Something....

2010-05-07T11:15:00.001-05:00

Isn't that the truth?

I traded cars on Monday. I was driving a Ford Explorer, and I don't need the 4WD feature much anymore, plus it really cuts down on the mileage you get. I now am driving a Suzuki Kizashi, and so far I really like it. I think it's a cute car, too. I can't believe the major room I now have in the garage, which used to have both the Explorer and the Lincoln TownCar in it, as well as everything else one usually finds in a garage, and then some.

The bad news is that Tuesday evening I sprained my ankle. I was carrying some things from my Mom's house downstairs here, and I missed the last step and fell onto the landing, right on my foot/ankle. I've never actually sprained anything before, and I don't think this is as bad as what I've heard described by others, so I'm hoping it will heal quickly. I've been doing the ice/rest/elevation thing, and along with an Ace bandage wrapped around it, it seems to be improving. The swelling is moving down toward my toes now a bit, and the actual ankle and above looks perfectly normal. Just when the gardening season is beginning to really heat up, here I am, hobbling around. Oh well, at least it's not permanent.

I am hosting the Mu Phi's Tuesday night (my music fraternity) but luckily I don't have to make the dessert. My brother's going to come over and get the folding chairs out of the basement for me, and I think I can do everything else, albeit slowly.

I'm doing a program for the Omaha chapter of ASG on the 20th, and I had a lot of plans that I was working on for that which may have to be slightly modified, but it should be a very nice evening anyway. They've asked me to speak about Wardrobing/Sewing with a Plan, and to show some of my covered shoes as well.

Clearing Out One's Parents Home

2010-05-02T11:08:00.000-05:00

As you all know, this has been a year of huge changes for me. Apparently I am not done with change yet, because my parents threw me a loop at the end of March.

They've been talking about moving into a retirement apartment or something like it for literally years, but felt they had to go through everything in their house, throw out and sort, sell the house, etc., before they moved. And they did nothing. My Mom literally was past it, and my Dad has never done that kind of thing, and wasn't starting now. I finally told him that he might as well quit talking about moving because if they had to do all that before they went, they weren't going. I also said that was fine, and we could figure out what to do so they could just stay in their home. But, if they were really moving, they'd better take what they wanted and leave the rest for us (my sister, brother and me) to deal with.

Well....I really must have lit a fire under him, because within two days they had picked out an apartment in a very nice retirement community, and they moved 4 days later! My sister came from California as fast as she could, and she, I, and my brother spent 3 weeks working steadily to clear things out. They'd been there about 36 years, and it's a large house with LOTS of storage, and it was full. We got through most of it before Lisa had to go home, and my brother and I are finishing up slowly. They've sold the house, and so actually, everything has gone pretty well. Everyone is so glad they made the move, and they love it there. My Mom doesn't have to cook, the food is great, they get housekeeping, and lots of other nice perks. The very day they moved, we noticed that my Mom looked so relaxed, and about 10 years younger. It was amazing. I really think it's because she no longer was surrounded by things that she thought she needed to be doing something about, and feeling guilty because she wasn't. Her memory seems better, she's walking better (getting more exercise and it's helping it seems) and she just seems more alert in general. My Dad still participates in his favorite activities of duplicate bridge and pool, and they're starting to join in things in their new community. Quite the success all around.

There have been so many changes in the last year I'm not sure whether I'm coming or going, but I'm still here, so that's good. Now I just need to find the time to do some of the things I need/want to do for me.

Susan Avila Workshop

2010-03-26T17:17:00.001-05:00

I attended a workshop,Building a Three-dimensional surface with Solvy & Stitching, at UNL this week, as I mentioned before. The presenter was Susan Taber Avila. You can see her above showing us the digitally-printed chiffon behind her piece, Garden Metaphors. The top layer is the negative pieces left after cutting out the leaves for the largest work in the show, Garden Wall.

We didn't get quite so conceptual in our samples, but I was surprised how many of us found ourselves telling a little story in our work.

The main technique she discussed and demonstrated was creating a 'fabric' of thread and scraps using Solvy as a medium to keep it all together until the stitching is done.

She suggests drawing a grid on the solvy and stitching it over a few times, then beginning to attach your 'stuff'. You can use literally anything that can stand getting wet (since you will be dissolving the Solvy in water). That included paper, thread, serger trimmings, dryer lint, etc. She said she almost literally never throws anything away, and many of her large projects are done with materials that someone was going to throw away.

We each were sent home with a large piece of Solvy, and told to create 3 identical 8"x8" pieces, and bring them back.

The range was very wide since there were no other instructions. Just to use your machine, the solvy and whatever else you wanted, probably with free-motion stitching, although in one case, that didn't happen, and the result was quite nice, and not noticeably different from the rest in that respect.

Technically, it was hard to stitch the grid without its drawing up and getting smaller. Stitching in a hoop made that easier, but of course it's easier and faster to stitch without a hoop. It turns out that those of us who had to 'patch' our Solvy anywhere with an extra layer, found out that 2 layers (or more) made it much easier to stitch in general.

Once the grid was done, attaching things was easier for the most part. Susan makes a point that perfect tension is not nearly as interesting or desirable as 'bad' tension. This is a definite plus when you're new to this, and if, as in my case, it's been a long time since you did any free-motion stitching. Even some quilters in attendance who do free-motion stitching all the time with ease had trouble with this. I think it has a lot to do with the single-layer you're stitching on a lot of the time. A machine guy told me once that machines are not made to sew on a single layer and don't do it well because there's nowhere for the stitch to form. It usually takes place between the layers, and there isn't any between here.

Once you're all done, you dip it in water of any temperature, and the solvy dissolves. Then we blocked the pieces to the required 8".

Back in class last night we took time to view and discuss everyone's work, and then we passed one of our pieces to the people on either side of us, and took one each of theirs. We had to merge all 3 pieces into a pleasing whole. We had about an hour to do this.

Susan taking photos of the finished work.

It was not as easy as you might think to come up with a good idea quickly enough to have time to work on it. It was a little intimidating to realize that you were possibly going to have to cut up your own or someone else's work, too.

Here are the 3 pieces I had to work with. My original 'creation' is in the center. The next photo shows you what I finally ended up with when I put them all together,

Mine is the one about in the center. I cut my original piece into a long, garland-like piece and used it around the outside of the heavier piece on the right of the first photo. It was made of upholstery fabric and was quite heavy. The center lines are very thin copper foil. The piece with the black lace around it was also cut up, but more into groups of 4 squares that I then stitched onto the base. I cut the upholstery base in a few places and stitched them back together giving it a bit of 'elevation'. It doesn't lie flat anymore, and that's what we wanted.

This was a very fun workshop, and I enjoyed very much the cutting up and putting back together, which surprised me, although I've always thought that one of the interesting parts of quilting was the piecing and then cutting up to get something completely different. I think this was a little like that in effect. One of the nicest things about the class was the people taking it. Everyone was great fun to get to know a little bit, and there's always shared experience when you're with a group for a specific niche purpose.

Here are a few more finished (3 part) pieces from the group.

Tonight it's the opera. I'm going to Hansel & Gretel at Nebraska Wesleyan University (my alma mater) with 2 good friends. It should be fun.

Netbook Sleeve

2010-03-23T12:19:00.002-05:00

Photo Link

I have a little netbook computer that's great for carrying around with me, but I didn't have a sleeve for it. I decided this would be a fun project where I could go pretty wild if I wanted to. I think this is pretty wild, and I even got to use my new jewelry anvil to flatten the ends of the metal pieces (heavy gauge wire) so that I could stitch them to the pocket and appliques. There's beading, I stitched small triangles of fabrics to the appliques, and one of the metal pieces is wrapped with fine wire. All of the ends are turned toward the sleeve so there isn't much chance of scratching anything with the metal. I have to say that this was SO much fun to do, though.

There are lots of photos in this post, and you can either click on the individual links and choose a larger size to see them better, or click on the first photo link, and then click through them that way if you like. By the way, the netbook is in the sleeve in all of these photos. It fits very nicely.

I used some heavyweight buckram for the inner layer,

and wrapped it with several layers of cloth, then added a silk outer layer with stitching, and a needlefelted embellished pocket on one side, and appliques on the other.

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I originally thought I would use the purple cotton with embossed circles for the whole thing, but after doing the needlefelting and free motion stitching on the pocket, I thought that would be too boring and dark. I recalled the lime silk I had left from a pair of summer pants, and it proved to be the bright punch I wanted. I did some stitching on it, and added a few narrow ribbons as well, but it stayed fairly plain.

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This is a close up of the pocket and the appliques.

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Finally, you can see it with the cord 'in' the pocket as well. I wanted the sleeve to just fit the netbook, but I swear the cord and transformer, etc. takes more room because it's so bulky. Anyway, it's in no danger of falling out. I'd probably have the cord in my purse separately anyway, since one doesn't always need it.

I'm going to a workshop at UNL tonight and Thursday. It's being given by Susan Taber Avila, and is called Building a Three-dimensional surface with Solvy & Stitching. She has a show in the Hillestad Gallery right now which is worth seeing, and I'm hoping this will be a useful workshop as well. I'm sure it's going to be fun anyway.

An Anvil for Me

2010-03-20T19:27:00.000-05:00

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I never thought I'd want my own anvil, but I don't have access to one anymore, and I don't need a full-size one anyway. I asked my brother, source of my lovely pattern weights, what he could come up with. He made me what looks like a hockey-puck out of stainless steel scrap, polished the top, and put cork on the bottom. I want to use it for jewelry type pounding, so it didn't need to be too large. I'm not sure when you'll see anything I've used it for, but I have some things in mind at least.

You can see what the pattern weights he makes for me look like below.

More Aqua

2010-03-20T19:02:00.000-05:00

Link to All Photos

I thought I'd do a couple more panties for the Aqua Set while I was on a roll. These have little scraps of lace as embellishment, with some narrow ribbon couched onto the cut lace edges.

I cut one complete pair from the Frosted Lycra and one from the Satin Lycra, and then 'mixed and matched' to combine both fabrics in each pair. The front and crotch-piece are one fabric and the back and upper-left front are the other. The lace was attached, and then the fabric was cut out behind it. I used plain picot elastic for these, as I did the previous pair.

More lace details below.

Skew Sock & Broken Glass

2010-03-12T14:06:00.000-06:00

The day started out strangely. I've become a real coffee person, especially mocha with frothed milk, etc., and I happen to have a coffee maker with a frothing wand. I never used it until recently, but it's great. I usually use a smallish straight-sided glass for the milk, which works well. This morning, I made my coffee, frothed the milk, and put the glass in the sink after I poured the milk out of it. Then I unthinkingly ran water in the glass. The bottom of the glass immediately popped off.

I had forgotten what my Grandmother told us years ago. She told us that when handwashing crystal, especially very thin, delicate glassware, never put the glass into the hot water bottom first. Always put the side in first, so that the glass has room to expand and not crack. I had just proven that it also is true for non-delicate glass. It probably just takes more applications of the hot/cold cycle to break it. So, be careful, and don't do what I did.

A couple weeks ago I talked about an unusual sock pattern I've been knitting, and Claire S.asked if it was Skew from Knitty, and yes it was. I have a photo of the first sock, and I'm actually pretty close to done with the second one.

I used a not-wonderful yarn since I didn't know how it was going to go, and I needed a striping sock yarn which I didn't have. It's Bernat's Satin Sport, which is acrylic. I'm not sure how it's going to hold up, but it's nice to knit and kind of pretty, and okay for a test. I've already bought a nice sock yarn to try another pair. That's the plan anyway.

Finally, I had a really nice lunch at the National Gallery that was kind of a crackery-type base with feta, grilled asparagus, artichoke heart, etc., on caesar salad. I thought I could do something similar, and settled on lahvosh as a good choice for the base. I found a recipe and made some. It turned out really good, but it seems like a lot of work for something that doesn't last long. I've been experimenting around, and I've found that a flour tortilla toasted in the toaster oven works just as well, maybe better, as it's not quite so brittle. Anyway, here's the result of my lahvosh baking.

And thank you all for the very kind hair comments!

Aqua Lingerie

2010-03-11T18:41:00.001-06:00

Photo Link

I've lost a little weight in the last few months, and I thought a new bra would be a good idea. I used the Freya pattern I copied, and made the band about an inch shorter. Next time I will also take a little out of the lower cup, although this is perfectly wearable, and if I were not now so picky from having beautifully-fitting bras, I would think it was just fine.

I used an aqua lycra from Fabric Depot that has kind of a frosted look, and is a very nice weight. I dyed the closure and the strap elastic, which is a double-sided plush with Natori woven into it.

Photo Link
I used this on the lower band edge as well. I used a white picot edge elastic for the upper band edge, and clear elastic inside the lace upper cups. The lace was already dyed to match.

The panties have the same lace at the sides, and I used my favorite boy-leg method with simply a cut edge at the bottom, and bar-tacks at the lower edge of the lace-joining seams. The front of the panty is made from a Victoria's Secret satin lycra fabric I got from a co-op. I got several colors of this, and it's pretty, and very shiny, but it had a lot of fold lines which do not seem to want to come out easily. I'm hoping they'll finally relax and fall out on their own, as they're from the shipping, not a bolt fold. It also snags very easily, so I'll have to be careful with it.

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I thought a half-slip would be fun as well, as my favorite one (from an old Nancy's Notions kit) is getting pretty tired looking. I measured it for the dimensions of this one, and also added a strip of the frosty lycra for a little oomph, as well as to tie it into the bra a little more. The lace hem is so easy to do when you use scotch magic tape to hold it while you sew. This is when a knee-lift for your presser foot really comes in handy, as you'll be repositioning your fabric each time your lace takes another turn.

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After you have the lace attached, remove the tape slowly, first on one side of the stitching line, and then the other. I then stitch a second time maybe 1/4" away from the first line, for security. You can see the finished inside here, including the frosted lycra strip. I used a serpentine stitch to flatten the seam allowances. You can use any decorative stitch for this, and lingerie is one of the places you can use all the decorative stitches on your machine that usually look a little juvenile on adult clothing, so go wild! If you click on the photo link below, you'll be able to see a much larger photo, and the stitching will show much better.

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I sewed the side seam of the slip after attaching the lace to the hem, and I left the lace side seam area unstitched, for a slit, and just turned the edge of the lace twice to finish.
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I used the same white picot elastic for the waist of the panties and the slip.

I have a couple more panties cut out, and another bra as well, in a different color. I need to be thinking of lighter colored sets for spring and summer, but this was fun to make.

I've Been Busy

2010-03-11T16:12:00.001-06:00

Since I last posted, I've been on another trip to visit a dear friend and her family. This time I went to Maryland, and had a marvelous time. We hit some great yarn shops, a bead shop, G Street Fabrics (my fabric is sitting at my post office at this very moment, since I was performing at Morning Musical Review when they tried to deliver it today) and of course various parts of the Smithsonian group of museums as well as other places of interest, such as the National Cathedral. On a completely frivolous note, she also took me to see Ricardo, her hairdresser, and I got my hair cut. (Drumroll!) It's not a complete departure from my former look, but it's a little more modern looking (I hope) and definitely 'cleaned up'. Here's me last Sunday.

I spent one day in DC by myself, traipsing through the National Gallery, Archives, Sculpture Garden, Portrait Gallery and the Renwick Gallery. I still feel like I'm filled to the brim with the sights I saw and the ideas I got.

Before she turned me loose on my own, Linda kindly went with me to DC, and we toured Arlington Cemetery, including Arlington House, which is beginning a major renovation soon, the National Building Museum, and the Textile Museum.

This last stop will be of special interest to most of you, and I would urge anyone who's handy, to go there now, as their current show is Contemporary Japanese Fashion: The Mary Baskett Collection.

It runs for about another month, and yes, it was wonderful. All of the items are from the wardrobe (as in, she still wears them regularly) of a woman from Ohio who lived in Japan near the beginning of the Japanese designer phenomenon. She spotted these intriguing designs and began buying and wearing them. She was there for quite a few years, so her collection spans a considerable time. You can get quite close to most of the pieces, and they're displayed very well for the most part, with the accessories meant to be worn with them, and on 3-D 'forms' inside so that the shapes are clearly shown. We could have done with a little more information about some of the pieces, but really, it's a great show, and quite interesting to see the pieces close up.

There's another interesting show there as well. It's Fabrics of Feathers and Steel:
The Innovation of Nuno and is a collection of very unusual pieces of fabric. I know you've seen some of these before, but the innovation of these is awesome. Of course you can't touch the fabrics on display, but they do have small 'touchable' samples by the description of each group, so you can get a sense of the tactile quality of the fabrics.

In case you wonder what I was singing this morning, it was 3 songs for a performance club. It's been about 2 years since I was able to go and perform, or even attend, so this was very nice. "V'adoro, pupille" from Giulio Cesare by Handel, and 2 of the Six Songs of Emily Dickinson by John Duke. 5. "Nobody Knows This Little Rose" and 6. "Bee! I'm Expecting You". My wonderful accompanist and friend, Diana, made it all possible, as always.

Some Activity

2010-02-22T18:52:00.000-06:00

There has been some sewing and needlework activity occurring, which is good. It's nothing wonderful, but I hope that will change too.

I did make up one of the knits I got in Chicago, the blue/green animal print. I used Jalie #2682 Here's my result after a test version, and a little more alteration. I did an FBA, and lowered the seam a bit. I like it raised some, but even the girl in the pattern photo has the seam a little high for comfort, IMO.

Photo Link

I also knitted a Prayer Shawl for my church to give to someone. We've noticed that some people are wearing them as scarves, so I thought I'd just make one that was very scarf-like. It was from some pale pink donated mohair, and a blue novelty yarn. I made two of the little bows, and attached them on opposite sides of the same spot so there's no front or back.

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I also finished a couple pairs of socks, and am working on another one that's a really different pattern from Knitty. I'm not sure how it's going to turn out, and I don't know if my yarn is too great, but at least it will be a good test. I'm going to visit a dear friend in Maryland tomorrow for a while, and I need to get some projects together to take along, although she's promised me that the yarn shopping is very good, so I'm taking a couple of patterns in anticipation.

My Test

2010-02-21T16:04:00.001-06:00

We've all said one word when we meant another, and since this is sewing-related, and I think it's really funny, I thought I'd share.

I had to have an ultrasound test after a recent check-up, and when the office called to schedule it, I dutifully wrote it in my calendar, promised I'd be there, and hung up. Then I looked at what I'd written. Here's what I saw.

10:30 Ultrasuede

I guess we all know where my head's at. I have to say I think an ultrasuede appointment would have been much more fun!

Home Again, Home Again

2010-01-19T16:56:00.001-06:00

Photo Link

Yes, I had a wonderful time in Chicago, and I thank you all for your good wishes, and many suggestions. We saw 2 concerts in the Northwestern Winter Chamber Music series, The Merry Widow at the Lyric Opera, and Ramsey Lewis in a MLK Day Performance. All of the music was just what you'd wish when you go to a concert, and I have many lovely memories.

The fabric shopping was TDF of course! I knew you'd be most interested in what came home with me, so I put it first.

Clockwise from Left.
Pink wool crepe & washed Rose Duppioni was a gift from Patti. (!)
Autumnal knit with bias stripes of a lacy knit from Vogue Fabrics.
Olive Jersey from Fishman's.
Olive/Black Crossdye Superfine Mohair/Wool from Fishman's.
Terracotta/Blue 'holey' knit from Vogue Fabrics.
Blue-green Animal print knit from Vogue Fabrics.

The knit with mesh lacey diagonal stripes in autumnal colors is something I hadn't seen before, and while they were cutting it for me, another clerk came to see what was left, as a customer had noticed it and wanted 15 yards, so I guess it was appealing to at least two of us. The terracotta/blue marbled print has narrow oval-ish 'holes' filled with a sheer mesh. The effect makes me think of columns. It looks holey, but it isn't really.

I am very excited by all of these pieces, and I am planning tops out of all the knits, with scraps heading for the lingerie-ready pile. The wool/mohair is slated to be pants. There were so many great fabrics at both Vogue and Fishman's that it was difficult to make choices. Before I got there, I had decided to attempt to limit myself to things that I was likely to make up very quickly and wear right away. I don't think I'm ready for a major project yet, but my wardrobe is lacking in certain things. These fabrics/garments should fit in very well.

We had such a great time just visiting as well as shopping and going to cultural events, and meeting Patti's friends was a great pleasure. We attended a weaving retrospective which had quite a few interesting and inspiring items. I have photos, and will put them into another post, or perhaps a couple.

Finally, the Peep was glad to have me at home again. My brother very kindly came over to make sure he had cat food, etc. while I was gone, and Peep was glad to see him, but apparently seemed puzzled over the sudden change of routine. Cats like everything to stay the same, and he'd never been home alone for more than a day before.

Just For Fun

2010-01-14T02:05:00.001-06:00

I don't know whether you have a place called 84 Lumber near you, but this was just too funny not to share.

My sister was visiting me and she saw the sign for this business as we drove down the street. She said "Before Lumber....I guess that would be 'caves'." I was totally nonplussed, and then realized she thought the sign was B4 Lumber, not 84 Lumber. Anyway, I guess caves would be before lumber.

I'm very excited because I'm going on a trip Friday. I'm flying to Chicago to visit a sewing friend. We're going to shop and go to musical events of all types for a few days. It will definitely be a total change for me, and I think I'm ready for something different. I will attempt to report on the fabric, etc., perhaps even with pictures, although I'm famous for taking the camera along, and then not taking any photos. So, we shall see.

It's Cold Outside!

2010-01-08T15:20:00.001-06:00

So naturally, I decided I wanted something warmer to wear. Seems like every winter I suddenly get the urge to 'sew warm'. Forget style, etc., just find something to bundle up in. Well, maybe not forget style, but it's not at the top of the list. I found a very cute RTW fleece vest that had a very droopy back on me, since it hadn't had my swayback alteration. (Strange that they didn't do that, isn't it?) I knew I had fleece, and I copied the vest.

Link to First Photo. You may click through them all from here.

Since the back was the problem, I pinned the RTW vest at the waist, taking out about 2 inches in length, and then copied the pattern that way, tapering to the side seam. I used a needlepoint wheel to copy the seamlines, etc. onto pattern paper, marked the pocket placement, then trued my seamlines and that was about it. The original vest had no princess seam, it was simply a row of coverstitching at the pocket placement. I did an actual seam there since it made the pocket easier (I just did an inseam pocket) and because I don't have a coverstitch machine, and I liked the line. My fleece is textured while the original was smooth, so I think an actual seam was necessary to even show up. I also added a CB seam to get the shaping I had put in.

The details are simple.
+ The separating zipper is very basic, with no facing on the inside, as per the original.
+ Hems and armhole edges are simply turned under and stitched.
+ All seams are topstitched. This doesn't show as much on my fleece as the original, but it makes for a nice finish anyway.
+ The collar is interfaced. I didn't want to use a fusible on fleece, so I used a fused suedecloth that I had and didn't use for a previous project. It was nice and sturdy without being stiff, and worked perfectly for this.
+ Each of the pockets forms an interior pocket also, because of the way it's sewn at the sides and bottom but left open at the top. I'm not sure I'm crazy about this, but it might come in handy. I can always go back and sew across the top.

I will say that everything for this project came from my inventory. I even had the perfect 23" separating zipper used in the original. Warm and frugal, that's me!

This is as close a photo as I can find to the original, which was one color, and did not have zipper pockets.

Alex's Drops Cabled Pullover

2010-01-03T01:20:00.000-06:00

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Yes, I did finally finish Alex's Xmas sweater in time. I had the knitting done a month or so early, but I didn't finish the sewing-together until a week before the 25th. There was very minimal sewing and finishing so I don't know what took me so long, but there it was. I was awfully pleased when he opened it, as he really seemed very thrilled with it. I hadn't been sure if he really was looking forward to having it, or was lukewarm about the whole thing. Well, he seemed genuinely pleased, which pleased me of course. Now the three men in that family all have matching sweaters.

Alex's is big on him, but I purposely waited two years after I made the ones for his Dad and younger brother. I knew he was close enough to a likely major growth-spurt that it would be silly to do all that work for something he couldn't wear more than a year or two. He's shot up pretty well lately, and this is generously sized in all directions. He'll definitely get taller, and fill out some, so I think this will be good for a long time. With the cuffs rolled up, the sleeves are fine now, too. This is him opening his package. Yeah, I think he likes it.

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Details:
Pattern: Drops 59-6 Adult Sweater (child sizes available)
Yarn: Bendigo Rustic 8-ply in color #950 Delta
Size: Men's Small/Medium, took just under 6 balls (200g size)

Graceful Knitting

2009-12-08T18:40:00.005-06:00

I still haven't done any real sewing yet, just a little mending, which I always think is a good 'gateway' back to full-sewing mode. However, I have been knitting. I finished a hemp lace shell before Pearle died, but I still haven't take photos of it. I have finished and have photos of another knitted top. It's called Graceful.
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This is from The Knitter magazine, a UK publication that I happened to see at the local Barnes&Noble. It doesn't have a lot of patterns, maybe about 10, but they are almost all something that I would consider making. I am very impressed with this issue anyway.

Here's my version.

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I used Bendigo Rustic in Agate, which is kind of a grayed purple. It's a DK/worsted weight, and the pattern calls for size 10 needles, so it goes very quickly. It took me about a month, not working too steadily. The thing I would emphasize is that it requires attention to the chart, because you will be doing pattern stitches on all rows. Most lace patterns have you just knit or purl back on the wrong side, but this is a little tougher. I made a larger chart, which helped a lot since otherwise I was having to really stare at it to make sure I was looking at the right place before I went on. The sleeves were a breeze since the more complex pattern is not on the sleeves.

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I love the way the sleeves come down over the back of your hand. It's the same thing that happens at the bottom of the sweater body, and it's just a function of the pattern stitches. I tried to make this longer than I usually do, and I like the length. I will definitely need to wear sometthing under it, as the lace holes are quite large.
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Here are a few more photos of the stitch pattern, with an envelope between the layers of the sweater so you can see more clearly.

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It's snowing here and very cold. We're up to about 8" and it continues. Soon the wind is supposed to pick up and blow it all around, and they're even giving us a blizzard warning. Unfortunately it's going to stay cold for at least a week now, so the snow will stay around a while.

I Never Knew

2009-12-08T18:36:00.000-06:00

I never knew just how many wonderful friends I had. I can't tell you how much it has meant to hear from all of you. It's still hard, and I'm sure it will be for quite some time, but it is so much easier to move ahead knowing that so many people care. I really feel like I have been greatly blessed to know all of you. I want to apologize for not keeping up with everyone's projects and blogs, but I think I'm on the way back. I hope so, anyway.

2009-10-14T10:39:00.001-05:00

Link to Slideshow

Many of you know already that my sweetheart is gone. Thank you all for the kind thoughts, prayers and hopes. It means so much to know that others care.

Pearle F. Finigan, 89, Lincoln, died Tuesday (10-6-09). Born (7-18-20) in rural Lincoln, Nebraska to Francis E. and Pearl M. (Allely) Finigan. Ret. farmer/developer. Farmed with horses and tractors. Member: Country Club of Lincoln; Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement; served as Nebraska Director of Agriculture under Governors Ralph Brooks, Dwight Burney and Frank Morrison; very early supporter of John F. Kennedy; owned and operated Finigan Drug in Estes Park, Colo.; developed land for commercial use and acreages in north Lincoln; delegate to several National Democratic Conventions; member of the University of Nebraska Marching Band.

Family members include friend and companion of 26 years, Liana K. Sandin, Lincoln; brother: William Finigan, rural Lincoln; cousins: Mildred McGill, Davey; Thelma Anderson, Lincoln; Bill Ely, Stella; Jim Rowson, Fremont, Calif.; Vicki Dean, Littleton, Colo.; Jim Yates, California. Preceded in death by parents; brother, Edwin J. Finigan.

Rosary 7:30 p.m. Sunday (10-11-09) Roper and Sons Chapel, 4300 "O" Street. Funeral Mass 1 p.m. Monday (10-12-09) Cathedral of the Risen Christ, 3500 Sheridan Blvd. Msgr. Robert Tucker officiating. Burial in Calvary Cemetery. Memorials to The Pearle Francis Finigan Foundation, 6321 "A" Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68510. Visitation 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at Roper and Sons, 4300 "O" Street. Condolences or personal reflections may be sent online at www.roperandsons.com

the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, October 8, 2009 3:00 am |

Sad Times

2009-09-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I posted. Probably the longest hiatus ever. I probably wouldn't be posting yet, except I got a PM at Stitcher's Guild that told me that my blog had a password on it now and she couldn't read it. I had put no password on anything, so I looked, and there's some kind of a sign-in thing from a group I know nothing about called "thick data". I have no idea how it got there, and I just closed that box and everything went on as normal, so I hope that's how it works for you.

I have never talked about much here except sewing and textile subjects, as well as a little on food, flowers, etc. I thought that was plenty, and I just didn't want to get into personal stuff. But now is the time, I think.

Pearle has been having health problems for some time, and we came home from the hospital just about 2 weeks ago, and he's on hospice now. I'm spending all my time with him, as you might expect. We're still working out the routine, and I'm hoping I'll eventually get some free hours here and there, but it's hard to tell. Things change suddenly.

I'm doing a little knitting on things I already had going, but I just don't seem to have the concentration necessary to plan anything new. Luckily it's going to take me a while to finish Alex's cabled sweater, and the lace hemp shell I'm doing. Then we'll see. Embroidery seems to have an attraction suddenly, but as I said, I'm not getting any planning done.

I have to put in a plug for the hospice program. They are simply wonderful, and I can't imagine how we would be getting on without them. It would be pretty tragic.

Blue Rose Nightgown

2009-08-05T23:22:00.000-05:00

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The photo above is of the nightgown I came up with after seeing this darling babydoll set from Jesus Fernandez.

As soon as I saw this, I knew it was a style I would really like. I have plenty of wide stretch lace in pretty colors and patterns from a Fabric Depot Value Pack, and so I went trolling through my stash of suitable fabric to see what would make a good combination. This is a very light, sheer mesh knit with a rose print. It was something I bought online that was. not what I'd expected, and I couldn't really imagine what I might do with it, but I put it away in case anything ever came to mind.

Since I wanted quite a bit of fullness in the skirt/body, I knew I needed something extremely light. Sheer just came along for the ride in this case. Mine is longer than the inspiration piece, and I made panties to match, but not in all lace. The front is lined with a silver tricot, which rather disappears under the print.
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The only other things I added were black satin ribbon and some blue rosettes.

Here's a better photo of the fabric.
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Russian Crochet & Cake

2009-08-02T21:42:00.000-05:00

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Deirdre was kind enough to send me some Russian crochet magazines that we had talked about on Stitcher's Guild, and I spent last night poring over them. I actually went and found some thread and hooks at about 2am before realizing that it was a little late at night to begin to polish my rusty crocheting skills. I am still thinking furiously about all the things shown in these issues. (Click on the photo link above, and on Original size below the photo on Pbase, and you can see much more detail.)

The collar on the top at the far right is so gorgeous, and I honestly can't tell if it's crochet or needle lace or a combination of the two. The instructions show the outlines drawn on a numbered grid, unlike anything else in these issues. Perhaps it's done that way just to make sure the free-form shape is correct for a collar. There is some amazing needle lace and hardanger besides crochet in these, and most of the instructions are just charts of the stitch motifs with no indication of the garment shaping, unless it's in the short written parts. A challenge, to be sure.

I also really like the lace bodice of the dress in the middle. There are a lot of things shown with motif groups placed here and there on garments. I especially seem drawn to the things where they have a mixture of techniques, styles, or scale. All in all, they're very interesting and thought provoking.

When I got to the instruction part in the first magazine I looked at, I immediately wished my grandmother could have seen these. She was a prolific crocheter who loved the fine-thread crochet with tiny needles. I'm lucky enough to have a tablecloth she made for my mother, and I remember when she sent it to the State Fair by mail, and received it back afterward along with the ribbons and rosettes she had won. It was judged to be just about perfect. None of us were surprised, as she didn't stand for anything less, and would redo something until it was just right. In my mind's eye I can see her looking at these patterns and working them out in her head while her hand would be going through the motions necessary, like a violinist or pianist fingering in the air while reading a score. She didn't teach me to crochet, my other grandmother did that, but Grandma Bergman left me her work ethic when it came to needlework, and I'm very glad.

I'll leave you with what I hope is a mouthwatering photo of a wonderful dessert. I have found my favorite chocolate cake. A Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden Cake mix with 3/4 cup Baking Cocoa and 4tsp. Splenda added. It's so dark and rich. This was just a stopgap because I didn't have a chocolate cake mix, but now I'm doing it on purpose. The real find is Raspberry Ice Cream with it. Just delicious!

Interesting Things

2009-07-29T16:16:00.001-05:00

Lots of disparate things happening on the textile front around here. Fabric and yarn have been arriving from various points,and there's been knitting and even some sewing done. And for a finale, I fixed my washing machine's water level knob. That was highly satisfactory.

I got some Canapone hemp yarn from elann.com the other day, and am doing a remake of a pattern I really like. It's Louet's Lily shell, and I made it in Louet's Euroflax. This is a much more economical choice, and the feel seems to be just about the same. It's on size 0 (2mm) needles, in the round, and I'm about an inch and a half in.

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I also got some Filatura di Crosa Esotico from them.

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I finished the body on Alex's cabled sweater and now need to begin the sleeves, but I think I will have no trouble finishing before Christmas.
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I've ordered fabric from several places lately, and although I'm not doing anything with them yet, I have plans (of course) for them. First was the Indigo Floral and Taupe Modern Gab from Fashion Sewing Group.
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I'm planning a tunic with the floral, and pants with the gabardine.

Elliott Berman's is having a sale, and I snagged a lovely piece of rayon blend Chiffon. I'm always an easy mark for plaids, and I like this very much. I will probably become a blouse or even a dress since I have plenty.
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And finally, here's my progress on the Marfy 1949 Skirt.

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I think the fabric color shown is fairly true, at least on my monitor. I like the piping on the edge of the pocket, carried on to the waist seam. The waistband is only basted on, and nothing is really pressed yet. You can see the silk organza underlining showing at the hem edge. The basting stitches show the hemline. I'm really pleased with how this is turning out, but I'm not going to rush. It's been a fun project so far.

Knitting Magazines

2009-07-29T15:32:00.005-05:00

The new Vogue Knitting came the other day, and I have to say it's the best one I've seen for a while. Several of the patterns really appeal to me and may even get knitted by me.

These photos are from the VK site, and only shown in a group. The first two, the coat and jumper are both nicely shaped, and seem very wearable. The jumper I like especially, and I suppose it's the cables that caught my eye.

I like the bobble cardigan (3rd photo) too, and the cardigan with the horizontal cable (5th photo) is pretty cute, too.

I ordered a couple magazines from elann with a yarn order. They're both Burda publications. Anna is a varied craft magazine, but almost all needlework. I got a few issues quite a few years ago and then I think they weren't available here anymore. Now they're touting their NEW magazine, so I'm hoping it's going to be similar since I decided to subscribe. They always had much nicer, more professional looking patterns and projects than similar US magazines.

The other magazine is Verena, a knitting publication. I'm not subscribing, although I would if I didn't already have so many coming. Maybe it will replace another one someday.

Both magazines offer both printed and online subscriptions. I wonder if this is a coming trend? I hope they don't quit the physical magazines, as there's just nothing nicer than having it come in the mail and being able to pick it up and take it with you. They do include quite a few extra patterns and features online that you can get whichever way you get the regular magazine, and I'm not complaining about that. More is always better.

Vanilla Meringue Set

2009-07-23T17:10:00.000-05:00

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I've not been doing much sewing lately, more knitting, and fabric and yarn buying, but I finally decided I wanted a light-colored bra, and I wanted it to be lightweight and cool, so I thought I'd try it without powernet lining in the lower cup pieces. I used the Panache pattern for this, with non-stretch lace yardage over tricot for the cups, and lace over powernet for the band. I started with white tricot, cream lace, pink straps and all the other bra findings white, and dyed them all slightly with Taupe Rit dye. I added a little Rose to the Taupe for the lace. As usual, the elastics take the dye most quickly, and I like the counterpoint of the slightly darker elastic with the pale lace and tricot. As always, if you click on the photo links, you can get a much more detailed look at the photos.

I've gotten to really like having lingerie sets, and I made 2 pair of panties to match this bra. They're different, and this one's my favorite.
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Both the ruffled stretch lace on the legs and the plain at the waist on these are from my Fabric Depot 'grab bag' of lace. They're both really soft.

Here's a close-up of the bra.
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Marfy 1949 Skirt Progress & Thank You

2009-06-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

First of all, I just want to thank all of you who were so kind as to help me celebrate my article in Threads Magazine. It's been so great to read all the well-wishes, and sharing it with you has been almost the best part of the whole thing. I expect to see lots of matching shoes now. Vicki, this means you!

Now on to current projects. I thought you might be interested in seeing the layout for the Marfy skirt I'm working on.
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This is the main skirt piece, and as you can see it's on the bias. Yes, I did iron the pattern before I laid it out, but I thread traced it and was ready to cut and had folded the pattern back up, then decided to take a photo. You can sort of see where I altered it, just at the CB top, tapering to nothing at the hem. I have a very high hip, and the draping didn't fall nicely until I got a little extra room where I need it instead of the usual 7"-9" below the waist. The only other changes I'm making is doing the waistband about half as wide as the original. I just don't have room for a wide waistband, and truth to tell, this one at half-width looks pretty wide on me.

I'm underlining with silk organza, and it's been a challenge to get it together smoothly when it's all on the bias. Hand sewing and a lot of pins have been the only thing that works. I've got everything cut out except the bias strips I'm going to use to make piping.

You can also get a pretty good look at the fabric I'm using for this. It's Pendleton wool in a very light weight. I think it has a butterscotch color to it, and I think the fabric is going to be great for this draped skirt.

Just to end on a weird note, I've been missing about 8 or 9 everyday teaspoons for a while now. I could not imagine where they went, as no one's been here, I haven't taken any silverware out of the house, and while I suppose I might possibly throw away a spoon accidentally, nine of them at once seemed unlikely. I didn't really dig through things hunting, as I was sure they'd show up fairly soon. After all, how far could they have gone? I finally found them the other day when I looked in the china closet and there they were in the spoon holder for my silver tea service. I had used them when I had club last, and then stuck the holder with the spoons still in it, into the china closet. I usually use the silver spoons with the tea set, and I don't know why I didn't this time, but I made myself a lot of trouble. Anyway, I was really pleased to find them.

I'm in Threads Magazine!

2009-06-26T16:42:00.004-05:00

Yes, I'm tooting my own horn a little (a lot!) but I'm so excited to say that I have an article in Threads Magazine this month.

My article is called Custom Covered Shoes, and it's about covering shoes to match your clothing, or whatever you want to match.

It all began in January when I got an email from a Threads assistant editor asking me to contact them. I was very excited to learn that they had seen some of my shoes in photos I had posted, and they were interested in having me do an article about how to do them. So, it's been a long time coming, but there was a lot to do, what with writing, rewriting, editing, photos, sending them my shoes and some matching garments, like the blouse in the photo, etc. It was always exciting when I got a letter or email from them. Everyone I worked with was so very professional, and so nice. It was a joy from beginning to end, and now to see it in print and get to share it with all of you is almost the best part of all.

The very end of the article shows my favorite shoe of all. It's a silk matka with fiber embellishments that were great fun to do, and I have a Marfy jacket that matches it, and here's the cover of this issue.

Melange

2009-06-14T20:29:00.000-05:00

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.

Decisions, Decisions

2009-06-12T02:15:00.000-05:00

I got my skirt muslin altered satisfactorily, I think, and I'm going to test it in muslin one more time, but now I'm thinking about what I'm going to use for underlining for this skirt. I'm seriously thinking about using muslin, and I'm wondering if this would be a huge mistake.

The skirt fabric itself is slightly stiff, and has plenty of body. The underlining is going to provide a nicer 'bend' to the fabric when it needs it. I don't think organza is indicated at all. The skirt will have to be lined with such a non-slip underlining, but I would almost certainly have lined it anyway, so that is neither here nor there. It's no more non-slip than batiste would be, and that would be another choice. Do I need to get actual batiste, or could this be an acceptable substitute. This is a fairly thin muslin, and is a nice smooth fabric, much like sheeting, and since the entire skirt is on the bias with only the one seam, it needs to be something fairly light that can be supported mostly from the waistband alone.

I will try to post something soon on the elastic and findings dyeing I've been doing. Those who asked whether the general sewing of the things is time consuming will be glad to know that the answer is no. The panties especially are very fast, and the bras go surprisingly quickly as well.

I brought a book home from my mother's yesterday. I remember it always being in our home, and although it's promised to my sister, I brought it home to read and look through again. It's Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dillmont, published by DMC. There's no copyright date on it, but the British Library says 1907. It's just the size to put in a workbag, being about 3"x5" and almost 2" thick. Looking it over last night, I think I may have to get a reprint for myself. It has everything from plain sewing to needle and bobbin lace, tapestry, knitting, netting, just anything to do with needlework. I was very surprised to find separate instructions for handsewing buttonholes in linen and in dress materials. I like vintage sewing books, and I have a special feeling for this one.

Here's the first waterlily of the season. I was very surprised to see it as I hadn't even noticed the bud, and suddenly there was a beautiful flower.

Another Lingerie Set

2009-06-08T21:10:00.000-05:00

I made another bra and panty set Sunday from a different pattern than I've used before. This one was copied from a ready-to-wear bra by Panache, and I think it turned out nicely. It has a horizontal top piece instead of the angled style of the Freya copy, and it gives a different look, and a little different shape I think.

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I tried several different techniques with this bra. I used a spaghetti strap attachment for the main strap, a detail that caught my eye in an advertisement, and which I've been anxious to try.

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Since I'd made a lot of spaghetti tubing to do the straps, I thought I'd use some of it as embellishment, and liked the little roses I came up with. I used one at each strap attachment point, one at CF, and one on a pair of matching panties I made.
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I used the print under the lace on the top cup piece, which gives it more stability than the lace alone. All the other pieces are lined with powernet. Although it looks like there's a wrinkle in the bridge, that disappears when it's worn.

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The 6" wide stretch lace and the brown lycra are both from my Fabric Depot bundles, and the print is something I had on hand, originally thinking I'd make a tank top or something, and I still have plenty left. It's a soft mesh knit. I dyed all the elastic, the strapping and the closure to match the main print color.

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These are the two pairs of panties I made to match this bra. I have enough stuff to make several more of one design or another. The pair on the left uses the full width of the lace, and for the the other, I trimmed the lace to about 2 1/2", or the width of one set of motifs. I still am very happy with the no-elastic look on the legs, so I'm continuing to use the style.

There are a few more photos here.

Thrills and Chills

2009-06-05T21:28:00.000-05:00

Isn't it fun when sewing gets really exciting again? I keep plugging away, and although I always enjoy it and wouldn't quit for anything, every now and then I just get thrilled with an idea or a little progress on something, and suddenly I'm on a high with no ceiling in sight. Yesterday it happened with a skirt I'm working on.

I thought I was getting a little stuck on lingerie, and I ought to work on something else, like how about one of this season's Marfy patterns I bought? I thought I'd start with this skirt, Marfy #1949.
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I knew I was probably going to have to enlarge the pattern a little at least because most Marfy patterns have almost no ease, and I didn't want a really form-fitting skirt. Also since this pattern has only one seam, at CB, is cut on the bias, and has no dart shaping, and only one partial side seam in the pocket, a muslin was a necessity. Actually, the pattern pieces had me stymied for a while because there are so many waistband pieces. There are 6 waistband pieces. One for the front, one for left back, one for the right back, and inner pieces for each of these, so the band has a seam at the top. Then there is a front and back piece that go between the waistband and the skirt to form the pocket, and of course a pocket bag front. It's a beautifully made pattern, but it took me a while to lay it out so I could figure out what was going on. Then it seemed perfectly logical.

So, I was working on this pattern, and also trying to think about what fabric I would use. I wanted to use a plaid or check as shown in the drawing, but what? Suddenly light dawned, and I thought of a piece I got from Elliott Berman's sale, and the perfection of the combination just thrilled me.
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I had originally thought of a skirt from it, but nothing specific, and this seemed perfect. I checked, and I think I will have enough. I have about a yard and a half. Luckily, there's no matching necessary, except on the waistband if i want it there, and since there's gathering on the skirt, it won't match perfectly there anyway. I hope it's going to turn out as well as I think it could.

Meanwhile, I haven't quit on the lingerie thing either. It's almost instant gratification sewing, and mixing the colors, fabric, laces, etc. is so much fun, and unlike anything else I do. I have another set in mind, and have copied another RTW bra for a different style, so I will try that.

Jeans Again, Finally

2009-06-02T20:48:00.001-05:00

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I've been without any jeans for quite a while now, and I've been meaning to make another pair, but just wasn't getting to it. Finally, I cut them out and sewed them up, and I don't know why I waited. They're just what I need for what I call 'wearing around', which is my main wardrobe need right now. With the gardening season truly upon us, I think these are just in time. Here's a side view.

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Nothing new, special or fancy about these. It's my usual Burda TNT pattern and I think it's actually the same denim I used in the last pair I made about 2 years ago. I bought a whole bunch of denim several years ago and used a lot of it for tractor seat covers, car seat protectors, and anything I needed a big piece of heavy fabric for. I have enough left for probably one more pair of pants, and that's about it. Unlike the last pair, I didn't put on back pockets (I don't think I ever used those pockets anyway) and I didn't do any interesting topstitching on these, where on the last pair I used variegated thread and had a good time doing it. This time I just wanted pants to wear, in a hurry. I did do my usual size zipper, with a pocket stay and side pockets on both sides.

Besides the jeans, I'm participating in Sigrid's Lingerie Sew Along, and I've made another couple pairs of panties. These are truly getting addictive.

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These are a plaid mesh knit that I've had on hand for several years, and some stretch lace from my FabricDepot collection.

Finally, here's a photo of my garden that I took yesterday.
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