Aqua Lingerie

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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.

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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

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

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.


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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

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

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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

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!

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

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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

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

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.

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

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

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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

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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

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

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

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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

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!

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

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.