More Books & Some Sewing

I ordered a couple books last week, and received them Friday. Both of them are a little off the beaten track for me, and one is strictly inspirational.

I noticed Creating Sketchbooks for Embroiderers and Textile Artists

by Kay Greenlees some time ago, and since I have been thinking for some time about what I could do to improve my skills in recording and developing ideas, I thought this might be helpful as well as an interesting read. I'm taking it slowly and trying to really absorb the ideas, which are myriad, and so I'm not through it yet, but so far I'm pleased with it. It's a little more skewed toward the art side of things, but that's okay.

The other book is Embroidery by Federico Rocca. It's an amazing coffee-table size book that shows many examples of couture garments with embroidery as well as some embroideries from the archives of the embroidery studio featured. The designers are all or almost all Italian, and there are some things that have captured my imagination. I'm thinking of embroidery of all kinds now, although it's not something that's featured heavily in my wardrobe to say the least. The book has some ideas that are very non-traditional, and others that bring to mind ways to use them that are not too over-the-top.

I've been working on the darling free Cape pattern from the latest Marfy catalog, and it's turning out really well. I'm using a heavy wool coating from Pendleton. It's a melange of yellow and pink, which sounds odd, but I really loved it when I bought it, and I still like it. It was a cut piece 2.5 yards, and I only bought one. I realized that really wasn't enough for a coat, which is what I wanted to make. Of course they were out by the time I got back, so it's been waiting for its pattern mate to find it, and it finally did. It's at the upper left of this photo, and I think the pockets are just the cutest thing.

I'm using a printed poly moleskin for a lining, which is nice and warm, yet light in weight, as the wool is quite heavy. I have it all together except for the spot where I turned it. I've been hand prick-stitching the edges with a pink/yellow variegated cotton quilting thread, and the effect is nice. It shows a bit, but not aggressively. Now I need to decide on buttons and whether I'll do the side closures as shown or some other way. Bows are coming to mind, but I'm not sure that's what I really want.
Here's the wool.

Photo Link

A Learning Experience

I've been poring over all the fashion magazines the last couple of weeks. Vogue, W, Harper's Bazaar. The spring runway shows are on now, but I've been ignoring them to keep my focus on fall. I've been planning out my sewing projects and attempting to be organized, and I'm not sure all this has done me much good if my latest project is anything to go by. Perhaps it's a lesson to stick to the plan and to the generally pretty basic styles that look best on me instead of lusting after the interesting and unique designs that come along.

Here's what happened. I fell in love with a skirt pattern in the September Burda WOF. It's #116, and there's nothing wrong with it except it looks awful on me.I kept trying it on and hoping it was going to look better when I got a little further along, and finally after I faced the top edge and the next step was the lining, which I luckily hadn't cut yet, I asked Pearle what he thought, and he immediately said it was just really bad in many ways, and especially because it made me look really wide, which he then very kindly said I'm not, so I felt a little better. He also hated the fabric, which I think is cute. Please note that the embroidery is nowhere near as shiny as it looks in the photo. It's much more matte with just a hint of sparkle. Anyway, that's the end of that one.

 

I really thought the style was cute. I've always liked those tapered skirts with interesting pleat details, but I guess they don't like me.

Louet Celebrity Progress

Link to Photo

Here's the back of the Instant Jacket I've been knitting in Louet's Celebrity yarn. It goes really quickly, as it's 2spi on Size 15 needles. I just love the colors and the little bumps that show.

I'm also finally binding off for the sleeve cap on the Xmas cabled sweater I'm making. So, after it's done, one more sleeve and then assembly. It's been fun to knit, but it will be nice to be done too.

A Fair Outcome

Photo Link Here

Here's Pearle in front of his 1st Prize shirt at the 2007 Nebraska State Fair. I was very thrilled to win. We almost couldn't find it when we looked this morning, but they had put it on a mannequin in a case, so it made a nice backdrop. We rent a cool little scooter for him to get around the fairgrounds on, and I get my excercise just keeping up. He can go fast!

I've been knitting on one of the Instant Jackets I'm doing from my new elann yarn, and I'll have to take a photo soon. It's the Louet Celebrity, and it's really luscious. I'm done with the back and halfway up one front. It really is fast to knit.

Nightie, Night!

I bought some beautiful embroidered-border batiste from FabricMart some time ago, and finally got around to making a nightgown from it. It's such a fine, thin fabric that it feels quite luxurious, although it's cotton. Perfect for a nightgown. I used my copied-from-a-favorite-RTW-gown pattern, and although it's quite simple, I'm very pleased with it, as it's exactly what I wanted.


Photo Link Here

I was planning to use some trim for straps and the top edge, but as I worked with the fabric I enjoyed the feel of it so much, and it was so light that I was afraid trim would weigh it down, so I decided to do narrow turned tube straps, and also to just turn the top edge over twice and do a hand stitched finish. I used Edge Stitch, as described in my favorite sewing book, Sew the French Way. It's said to be de rigeur for fine lingerie seams, and it's very pretty. It's also used to attach lace and appliques to lingerie, as it has tiny decorative holes when you're done. It looks very much to me like the heirloom stitch on my machine called Point de Paris, although this is much finer and more flexible by far. It only took a couple hours to do the stitching, and I enjoyed it. I may even do more. You can see it in the next photo, and if you want a real close-up, use the link below the photo.


Photo Link Here

The yarn I ordered Thursday night from elann.com came yesterday (Monday) which I thought was excellent service. I'm planning an Instant Jacket type cardigan out of each of the two yarns. The left is Louet's Celebrity, and on the right is Austermann's Soft Wool. I also got a couple sets of double-pointed needles that I needed.


Photo Link

I've also begun to seriously plan my Fall sewing, and have begun tracing and altering the patterns I'm planning to use. This is not something I generally do more than one pattern at a time, and I'm finding that this is really focusing my mind on details of what I want to do, and has been quite the nice experience. I dislike cutting out a number of garments at the same time, as it's so easy to change your mind about some detail when it's too late, but I think this mass alteration plan may be a good one for me. That way, when I'm ready to sew, I'll be ready to sew!

Omaha Expo in September

Kayleen was asking, and in case anyone else in my neck of the woods isn't aware of it, there's a sewing expo coming up in Council Bluffs, Iowa (across the river from Omaha)in about a month.

• The Original Creative Festival
  
  September 21, 22, 23, 2007
  Mid-America Center
  One Arena Way
  Council Bluffs, IA 51501
  
  
  WORKSHOPS BEGIN Thursday September 20th 9:00 am
  Sewing machines sponsored by Sew Viking
  Irons sponsored by ROWENTA
  
  Three days of FUN PACKED ENTERTAINMENT
  
  Special Guest Speaker Cynthia England / England Designs
  Cynthia is a graduate of the Art Institute of Houston and has been creating quilts for more than thirty years. Experimentation with quilting techniques led her to develop her own unique style. Cynthia’s quilts have been honored with many awards, including two Best of Shows at the prestigious “International Quilt Association”. Her quilt, Piece and Quiet was distinguished as one of the Hundred Best Quilts of the 20th Century. Cynthia teaches and lectures nationally and internationally.
  
  Come learn from the top industry designers & educators that will be offering 4 days of workshops, seminars & FREE stage presentations. Special Guest speakers: Cynthia England, Jodi Barrows, Emma Seabrooke, Barbara Callahan, Connie Spurlock, Sheila Reinke, Brian Bergquist, Terry White, Jewell Hulitt, Lorraine Henry, Connie Spurlock, Kathy Ruddy, James Raymer, elinor peace bailey, Ute Vasina, Patti Culea, Julie McCullough and more to be announced. It’s a perfect opportunity to learn NEW sewing, quilting, crafting and embroidery skills or simply sharpen current ones.
  
  Cloth Doll Makers & Doll Lovers
  YOU are in for a HUGE treat! For the first time in Council Bluffs 4 of the Top Industry Cloth Doll Artist; elinor peace bailey, Patti Medaris Culea, Ute Vasina & Julie McCullough will be traveling to The Original Creative Festival and will display their Creations, teach workshops, lecture and offer Hands-on Make & Take it projects during the Festival. Be sure to stop by “Doll Alley” and meet the artist face to face, they will have all their newest products & supplies for purchase.

I plan to go for a day, mainly to visit the vendors and perhaps do a few classes. There's quite a list of them, and some sound pretty interesting. I've been told that Lorraine Henry is very good on fitting and pattern choices. Anyone know anything about her?

There's a thread on Stitcher's Guild about this now, too.

There's also going to be a Hancock workshop weekend in October in Omaha, but I haven't heard who the guest speaker/educator will be. It's always been very good though, so I'm hoping for great things.

A Real Quickie - Sundress

I felt like sewing something, and since I need to go through my fabric inventory and really decide on my plans for Fall as a whole, I didn't want to start on anything major. I just needed that quick fix of a fast project. I had some cute printed knit fabric that I bought from Wazoodle last year, planning some sort of sundress. The May 2007 Burda WOF had a cute top and sundress from the same pattern, only with different lengths. It's not my usual thing, but it's been so horribly hot the last week or so that my brain is fried I think, and it's finally hot enough that I think of sundresses for me, rather than other people.

I did the top first in a tricot to try it out, and found that the V-neck hit way too low. It was cute though, and I decided to raise the neckline. I just made it horizontal instead of a V, and I think it came out very cute. I like the fact that the straps almost completely cover my bra straps, except where the knot is. It has a self-fabric tube as a belt, although I think if I wear it, it will probably be unbelted. It would be cooler that way too. The colors in the first photo are the most true.


Photo Link here


Photo Link here.

I got my Marfy patterns yesterday! That should spur me on. I also just finally went and bought the new Vogue Knitting magazine. I have to call them now and tell them mine never came.

Fall Sewing - Ruched Skirt

Link to larger photo.

I knew when I saw this skirt pattern in the May 2007 Burda WOF magazine that I wanted to make it, and I knew the perfect fabric. Timmel Fabric had had a plaid mesh fabric that kept popping up in my head, but I never knew just what I should do with it. Until I saw this skirt. The original was a plain tulle underskirt with a border print overskirt, but I thought a plain overskirt would be more wearable with such a stylized design. So, I ordered the fabric along with a plain brown in a light weight, and proceeded to do nothing with them for a couple months. I'm glad I waited, as it really seems to be a Fall skirt rather than a summer one, and when I had finished it, my real problems began, as I tried to find something that I wanted to wear with it.

I had lots of help from some very discerning eyes, and the consensus was that it went best with a Marfy zip-front jacket that I made a couple years ago. (The colors are better in person, as I lightened this photo a bit so the skirt shows better.) So, now I had a jacket, I now needed a blouse. I had enough left of the plaid to make a blouse, and so I tried on several styles to see what I liked with the jacket, and decided on Vogue 2719, which I had made previously in a batik. You can see the collar under the jacket above, or here's a photo of just the skirt and blouse.


Link to larger photo here.

I put 2 collars on the blouse. I used the brown skirt fabric for the undercollar on the top collar and the top of the lower collar. It's a small detail, suggested by Linda's description of an Armani jacket, although completely different, and not nearly so wonderful. It was fun to do something different, though.


Larger Photo Here.

Ta Da! It's a skirt, NOT pants

but you probably would have noticed that anyway!

Yes, I finished the tunic outfit I had started. For some reason, I was apparently convinced that this fabric was 60" wide when I bought it, and thought I was getting enough for a tunic and pants, but lo and behold it's actually 48" wide. I tried to get more fabric, but it was all gone, so it was on to Plan B.


Link to Larger Photos Here.

The pants would have been rather plain, but with the skirt, I decided to emphasize the vertical line of the CF and CB seams by turning the seam allowances to the right side and then edgestitching. I did the hem similarly, and the top elastic casing as well, which I think is terribly cute, although no one will ever see it, as I'm certainly not going to wear this skirt (or almost any skirt) with a top tucked in. I'm just too shortwaisted for that. The skirt pattern is for knits, and although this is a fairly stretchy woven, I was worried that it would be tight, so I added 4" to the circumference. It's just fine, with plenty of room to put it on as well. I attached the 1 1/4" elastic at the top only, so the skirt hangs away from the body just a bit below that, and I think it's a success.


After all the details on the skirt, the tunic needed a bit more oomph, so I turned the hem to the right side, and made it a bit wider than it originally was, and I edgestitched all the seam allowances, although on the sleeves, since they are rolled up, I didn't stitch them to the sleeve, but left them free. I may not always roll them just the same amount, and I didn't want stitching showing on the right side.


I can hardly wait for cooler weather to wear this, as I think it's going to be great fun.

Fabric Inspiration

I got a wonderful book in the mail the other day, and have been poring over it with great enjoyment. It's called Fashioning Fabrics: Contemporary Textiles in Fashion. It has the most fabulous close ups of extraordinary fabrics and garments that I've ever seen. It's a fairly new book too, and they have some couture fabrics from very recent collections. 2005 is the latest I've noticed so far. I would definitely recommend this book if you're at all interested in this subject.

Book Description: (from amazon.com)
Fashioning Fabrics considers the work of fashion designers who put textile development at the center of their practice. Taking in both flights of fancy gracing the most exclusive catwalks in the world and emerging designers working on a much smaller scale, this stunning book explores and pays homage to the experimental, the beautiful and the extravagant in textile design. From Issey Miyake’s sculptural pleats to Jessica Ogden’s salvaged and reworked vintage fabrics, from Pucci prints to conceptual play in the designs of Hussein Chalayan, Fashioning Fabrics concentrates on innovative, challenging approaches to design. Each designer is profiled in detail and their relationship with fabrics and fashion explored. Fashioning Fabrics is beautifully illustrated with detailed images of the textiles discussed and photography illuminating the creative process from studio to catwalk. Whilst it may seem obvious that textiles play a pivotal role in fashion design, the use of fabric is rarely discussed in its own right. Fashioning Fabrics seeks to redress this imbalance. With an introduction by Sandy Black, author of Knitwear in Fashion, and a renowned writer in this field, this book traces a history of innovation and passion for textiles.

Everyone else is getting their Burda World-of-Fashion magazines today, so I feel a bit left out, but I usually get them very quickly, so I shouldn't complain.

I've been working on a Fall outfit. I found a remarkable fabric which is a stretch woven. I know I said I'd never fall for them again, but what are you going to do? It's the very au courant metallized finish as well, and it has a different color on each side, coordinating beautifully. It's a tan/gold on one side, and a gorgeous taupe on the other. I'm using an old pattern for this, the Great Copy New York Pullover, now OOP (out of print) and my favorite pants with a narrower leg. I think this is going to be a very nice tunic look. The top is almost done, and I've color-blocked a bit, with the collar and under-sleeve pieces in the taupe and the rest in gold. The pants will be taupe. The way the pattern is cut, the yoke front, back and upper sleeves are in one (with a CB seam) and the lengthwise grain goes the length of your arms. This makes it look like yet another color, which I didn't realize until I had it together. It's not a big change, but enough to be noticeable, and very attractive I think. Here's a line drawing of the pullover pattern. It was designed for fleece, but I used it once before for a loosely woven wool, and liked the results very much.

...Tan Shoes & Pink Shoelaces...

Actually instead of a polka dot vest, it's polka dot pants! I don't know how many of you remember that very silly song, but it takes me back to my 4H Song Contest days. Our group didn't sing that song, but we heard it a lot from another club, and it stuck. For us, our leader picked serious song literature.

................."Ja Da, Ja Da, Jing, Jing, Jing.".............................

Anyway, on to the polka dot pants.

Link here to this and a front view.

This is my favorite Double Burda pattern in polka dot embroidered linen from JoAnn's. I think they turned out kind of cute. I wore them to dinner tonight, and I have to admit that every time I looked down for my napkin and got a glimpse of the dots I was sure I had spilled something. I think they look cute with the windowpane blouse, and the linen is almost a perfect match for a gorgeous Sewing Workshop vest that I got from Pam. How amazing is that?

These have my favorite Hollywood waist treatment, a left side invisible zipper and a right side inseam pocket. I have finally learned that I have to hem the right leg about 3/8" longer to make them match. High left shoulder and high right hip I guess. I don't feel all squinched up, but apparently I am.

I got a new knitting pattern book. It's Anny Blatt: Timeless Classics from the Knit Collection
I saw a copy the other day, and it has some really wonderful patterns in it. The yarns will have to be substituted I'm sure, as it's not a terribly new book. I hope I'll actually get to knit some of them. Surely I can get to one of them at least.

Shirts and Sweaters

Photo Link for extreme close up of stitches.

Here's my progress on the Christmas sweater. You can see the beginnings of the first sleeve cuff on the Size 1 double points toward the right. It's been going pretty quickly, although now that the live horse racing season is over for the year, that may cut into my "enforced" knitting time.

I've finished the polka dot linen pants as well, and hope to both wear them and get a photo this evening. I think they turned out pretty well.

I also managed to finish a previously abandoned shirt for Pearle. I'm not sure why I quit working on it before, but it was pretty close to done, and so I did the cuffs, hem, buttonholes and buttons last night, and it's ready to go.


Photo Link here for a more detailed image.

I was very intrigued by the next photo, which shows just how fine and detailed the weave is on this Swiss cotton fabric. It also shows that the regular size sewing thread I used is miles larger than the threads used to weave the fabric.

Photo Link here for an even more detailed shot.

Fall Marfy Catalog is Here

Tra la! My Marfy catalog came today, as promised. I've been looking hard at all the designs, and there are a few that are calling to me, although I must say, not as many as usual. I do really like the free patterns this time. They're shown in the first 2 photos below. There's a nice shirt/jacket, pants, and bias skirt, shown below.

And then a darling cape (very small in the upper left of the picture below) which is going on the fast-track list, and is shown with a cute top and a very casual skirt.

Vests must be very hot this fall as I noticed a couple in the latest Vogue Patterns magazine as well, and wondered about it. I like the one shown below fairly well, but it's the skirt that really caught my eye. (The vest pockets would definitely have to go, or at least move elsewhere.)

This very cute jacket is one that immediately called out to me. I look at it, and I really like it, but I wonder if I ought to be forgoing the short jackets. I think it's the very low closure with the V-neck that I like. It might be enough to counteract the shortness of the jacket. It's pretty cute, anyway. Nice skirt as well.

This is another skirt that caught my eye. It reminds me a lot of a Marfy from a couple of seasons ago that I really disliked, so I was initially surprised that I immediately liked this one. This is so similar, and yet it is much better. I think the older one had curved panels starting on each hip instead of just one in the back. Anyway, it was unflattering even in the illustration, I thought.

 

I will need to ponder these designs and look at my personal fabric store to see what I really am serious about, but there's definitely food for thought here, and I'm very much ready to think about fall fashions rather than summer. I want to make sure that I'm sewing things that are going to work with at least some of the wardrobe I already have, and it would be nice to be a little bit organized about it for a change. When I've done that in the past, it's been a real success, but it's awfully easy to fall back into the routine of just making individual pieces and then afterward hoping they'll work out.

Tracking the Wild Marfy

No wilder than usual, I assume, but I am sort of thrilled watching my Marfy catalog wend its way around the globe to get to me! (Isn't that silly?) I've never gotten a tracking thing for it before, but this time they sent a tracking number, and so I've been watching it start from Italy, go through Germany and now this afternoon, it's suddenly in Kentucky. It's supposed to be here Monday, and I do think they'll make it easily. Here's the chart so far.

Package Progress
Location Date Local Time Description
LOUISVILLE, KY, US

07/06/2007 1:10 P.M. IMPORT SCAN
KOELN (COLOGNE), DE

07/06/2007 5:30 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
07/06/2007 12:24 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN
BOLOGNA, IT

07/05/2007 6:57 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN

07/05/2007 6:54 A.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED

After all this excitement, I just hope there are some really great things in it. I have very little doubt that there will be.

I went to JoAnn's to get some of the new Vogue patterns on Wednesday, and they only had one of them. So, I bought some fabric instead. A cafe-au-lait linen with cream embroidered polka dots that I'm going to use to make a pair of pants. I prewashed yesterday and laid out the pattern last night, but just couldn't make myself cut. It was late, so that was probably a good thing. Mistakes are made in the wee hours, and I wasn't going to get anything sewn afterwards anyway. One of the polka dots unraveled completely, but all the others appear to be unscathed, so I'm just avoiding that one.

It's really hot here today and was yesterday and is supposed to continue to be hot through Sunday, so maybe I'll get some good sewing time in.

Also, the Couture shows are on now for Fall 2007, so don't miss out!

Cream Marfy 1251 Blouse

Click here for more detailed photo.

I finally buckled down and finished the blouse I've been fooling around on. It's Marfy 1251, the flounce blouse pattern, without the flounce or the sleeves. It's a little longer than the green version, and I must say, it's a very cool, comfortable summer blouse. As you can see, it's a bit roomy although it has some shaping, and in fact, I took it in a lot all around below the bust to the hem.

The fabric is silk with an embroidered windowpane design. I bought it several years ago off the $1/yard table at Wal-Mart. I knew it was going to find it's pattern match someday. As it turned out, I'm not sure this was the perfect match after all. I like it very much, and I like it with this style. It was easy to sew, so what's the problem? It was just impossible to match the pattern because it was not embroidered in a perfect grid pattern. It looks pretty good, but it's not perfect enough to match. The front's good enough I think, but the CB seam was not going to match, so I gave up and decided that's just one of the "perks" of using human-embroidered fabric rather than something done by machine. I'm sure this was done in India or somewhere and thus, like Madras plaid, it's got its own little peculiarities, but that just shows that it's hand done. That's my story anyway!


Click here for more detailed photo.

I was afraid that buttons would be a problem, as I didn't want plain white. The fabric is more of a pearl or pale cream color, and I was thrilled to find these pale, pale pink vintage glass buttons in my button collection. I think they're perfect, and there were just the right number, so it must have been meant to be. There are weird reflections off the button onto the fabric in the photo or something, but there is no discoloration on the fabric in actuality.

I did hand work on the sleeve edges, turning twice and stitching by hand for a very thin, flexible finish, and serged and turned once at the hem and hand stitched. I was going to turn twice at the hem, but it was getting a bit thick, and I didn't want to take the chance of having it flip up, as many very narrow hems do. This seems to be staying down so far.


Click here for more detailed photo.

I like the inverted-V shape on this version, whereas on the green one I wasn't so sure. This is a bit longer and I think that makes a difference.

You can see all the photos and a couple more HERE.

More Inspiration

Better than Christmas is an interestingly full mailbox.

More inspiration arrived in the last few days in the shape of books and magazines.

First came the Ralph Rucci book from Amazon. (I also got a 1930's-green metal colander, but that's strictly utilitarian, although I'm pretty thrilled with it.

Then I got the new Vogue Patterns Magazine, Threads and the July Burda World of Fashion on the same day!

So, now all I'm waiting for is my Marfy catalog, which I was really sure would be here by now. At least I was hoping quite a lot. Next chance is Thursday I guess.

Thinking of the colander makes me think of food, and we had the first sweet corn of the season last Friday! It was only average. Too old, in my opinion, but one of the guys who farms for us says his first should be ready by the end of the week, so that will be much better. Fresh out of the field can't be beat, and he raises some delicious and very tender varieties. 'Sweet corn' and 'tender' was an unheard of combination for many years, but in the last decade or so, things have greatly improved. Can't wait!

Books, Blouses and Bad Weather

Photo Link for larger image.

The photo above is from June 22 (see how lax I've been!) and I looked out the north window and was just stunned with the beauty of the light, the clouds, and the ferocity of it all. I am very sorry to say that we only got the few drops on the window to show for it all. We're really starting to wish for rain around here, and my grass is not happy either.

Now that June is over, and with it, the end of the fiscal year, and all that entails, I suddenly feel as though a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

I'm getting close to done with a Marfy blouse that I've been forcing myself to work on. Not sure why I have to be forced, as I'm anxious to get it done and wear it, but I think there's something about my ingrained guilt that says if I'm procrastinating about something I don't want to do (like end-of-fiscal-year stuff) then I can't use my wasted time for doing something I really do want to do. Silly, but I've noticed this before. I guess that way, I too, shall suffer.

Anyway, the blouse is the same flounce blouse I did in dark green, except without the flounce, and without the sleeves. It's cute, although the fabric is somewhat of a problem. It's not just exactly what I'd call on-grain. It's silk with an embroidered windowpane check which doesn't seem just exactly square. I think it's going to be fine for this anyway, and I've found the perfect pale, pale pink square antique buttons for it. Only 4, so it's lucky that's what it calls for.

I met with most the the local Sewing Guild officers at the Guild's monthly Charity Sewing night (we're making fleece mittens for the Head Start kids) to begin to think about the next year, and although the programs are all pretty much set, we need to take a different direction as an organization. This has been my feeling for quite a while, and I was so glad that they not only concurred, but had been thinking this for some time also. It's a lovely group of ladies, but it's been very much "stuck in a rut" for a few years. I think the membership is ready to try something new if only someone will tell them what they should try. We are going to start with organized business meetings, no matter how little business. It's been years since minutes have been read of a previous meeting, and even if someone manages to make a motion about something, we don't generally end up voting. Belonging to several groups with semi-rigid parliamentary procedure and this group, the difference has made me appreciate just how far the framework can get you.

I've been knitting away furiously on the Xmas gift sweater, and I've divided for the armscyes and am now getting near the top of the back. Then it's on to the front, the sleeves and then finishing. So, I hope to be done by Fall.

I've also been listening to more Audio Books from my local library.


I really enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It's an unusual construct, but very well-thought-out, and very much a page-turner.



I must wholeheartedly recommend Growing Up Lutheran: What Does This Mean? Janet Martin and Suzann Nelson to anyone who grew up in the Lutheran church, especially if you are Scandinavian. The authors were about 10-15 years ahead of me, and are both Norwegian, and I'm Swedish, but so much is exactly the same. I would really recommend the CD or audio-book, as the presentation is half the fun. This would be a great gift for older relatives who "lived through it." I took a copy to my parents this afternoon, and my mother especially was laughing and reciting with them. "This is most certainly true."

Inspiration Welcome

Summer always seems to be a hard time to get a lot of serious sewing done. There are just so many things that need attention right now, and sewing is one of the things that gets put on the back burner for a bit. I'm still getting some knitting done, as I can do it anywhere, while the sewing is much less portable.

Except for the planning and inspiration processes. I'm almost never without a small notepad or notebook, and I love to make lists of planned garments, coordinates, fabrics, etc. The fun just never ends! As an adjunct to this, I am looking at lots of publications for ideas, as well as online sources of course.

I just ordered the new Marfy catalog (Fall 2007/2008) today.

There are supposed to be six free patterns with it this time. The Spring issue had 3 more free patterns than advertised, but I think that was a fluke. I'm kind of excited to know that it will soon be here. I went ahead and ordered it with courier delivery, so it may even be here next week!

I got my new copy of Ornament Magazine yesterday.

I really like this publication. It has a lot of things besides textiles and clothing, but everything is of a very high standard, and one idea does lead to another....

I've also been redoing my closet and finally decided to seriously begin using my former sewing room (an extra bedroom) as a dressing room and closet adjunct. So, with a lot fewer clothes in my main closet, it's much easier to see what I have, what I want to wear, and where it all is. I also ruthlessly weeded things out, much more so than I've ever been able to bring myself to do before, and I'm so pleased with the results. It's definitely a work in progress, and probably always will be, but I'm going to try to keep it up.

I'm happy to say that the wisteria is finally blooming, although certainly not as much as it would have earlier if not for our very late, very hard freeze this spring. Since the vine is fully leafed out, it's also not as dramatic as the earliest bloom usually is, but it's very nice to see it. I've been pruning bushes, weeding the lawn and flowerbeds, and dividing waterlilies and moving them around to various ponds which need more or less shade. I just keep telling myself that it's really good exercise.

Xmas Sweater Progress

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Here's my progress so far on my brother's Xmas sweater. I think it's coming along nicely, and the pattern has been very nice to knit. I love the cable patterns, especially the main panel. It looks complex, but it's an easy 32 row repeat once you get the hang of it. The other patterns are 8 row repeats, so they fit together very well. Once you get to the bottom of the armscyes, you cast off some and then knit back and forth on the front and back. The sleeves are also knitted in the round and then set in. I think this will give a much nicer shaping than using a steek. This is a Norwegian pattern I believe. It's from the Drops site anyway, and is Men's pattern 59-6. They seem to have really nice, free patterns, and there are a lot to choose from.

I'm using Bendigo Rustic yarn in Midnight Tweed. It's mainly a deep navy, but has flecks and heathering of red, teal, purple, green, etc.

Our local library has a wonderful audio download program, and I've been listening to audio books while knitting. Also while gardening, etc. I just finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. It was such an engrossing story, and very sad, but very satisfying. It also includes many references throughout to embroidery, weaving and sewing.

Norah Gaughan Shell is Finished

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I finished the Norah Gaughan shell today that I've been working on. I used Bendigo's Cotton yarn, and I really think it turned out pretty well. My sister thinks it would have been a bit nicer if I had reversed the front pieces, and put the design panel on the right instead of the left, and I think she's right. Live and learn. I should know that things generally look better on me with the interest on the right. I'm sure I'll wear it anyway though.

It really was a fairly quick knit, and quite enjoyable, especially the patterned front panel. The front is done in 3 pieces which are seamed together. I'm sure there's a way to do them all as one, and I thought about it, but I wonder if the fact that there are seams on each side of the cabled panel gives it a bit more stability than if there weren't.

This was very nice yarn to work with as well. The pattern called for yardage that was just about 2 balls-worth, and so I ordered 3, just to be sure. It really took me very little over 1, so I have a lot left over. I did the Back in the Small size, and the Front in Large, changing to Small as I neared the shoulders. It went together with no problems.

I'm editing this to say that the just over 1 balls-worth is actually more like just over 4 regular 50g balls, since I used Bendigo's yarn, and they put theirs up in 200g balls. So I actually used just over 200g of cotton yarn. Hope this didn't mislead anyone!

I also have just found out that Bendigo has a website, so you can see their products there, and order too. I don't know how the colors will look to you, but on my monitor they seem not nearly as pretty as they are in real life, so do order a color card. They've always sent those to me for free, and it's wonderful to have it.

Still windy today, but not as bad as yesterday. Many baby robins, grackles, cowbirds, and bunnies out today eating and bathing and generally enjoying the wind-free morning. I imagine they were all hiding under a bush or something yesterday. It was a dangerous day to be out.

On a somewhat sad note, Pearle's brother has the farm they grew up on and there's been a windmill there for 100 years. It's been shut off for the last 10 or so. The head (fan part) blew down yesterday. Luckily it missed all the buildings, but it's so sad to see an empty windmill tower on a place. Also, there's nothing to see which way the wind's blowing out in the country anymore. There used to be windmills in every section, but there are fewer and fewer all the time. This one was on top of a hill, on a high tower, so it was visible from a long way, and almost always got enough wind to pump water, although it wasn't used anymore, which is why they're disappearing everywhere. Now this one's gone too.

And the Wind Blew!

Quite the disaster in the back yard this morning, as I was planning to water flowers and weed a bit. I put up the patio umbrella, as there was no wind, and it was already sunny and getting hot. I went around the house to get more hose and came back in just a couple minutes to find the umbrella had vanished! It was nowhere, and we have a large yard. I didn't see how it could just vanish, but it had. It was a large, heavy umbrella made of wood and canvas with a brass pin to hold it up, rather than a crank system.

I looked up and it was on the garage roof, behind the pergola. As I stared and wondered how I would ever get it down, it came down. Hard. Right in the flower bed, breaking a few of the ribs naturally.

Needless to say, that was the beginning gusts of the wind coming up, and it's been blowing between 35 and 50mph even since. It's also about 90 degrees, so not a very nice day.

I went out after lunch and weeded a bit anyway, and since then I've stayed in and worked on the finishing for my Norah Gaughan shell from her Knitting Nature book. I think I'm going to like it.

Oh, one other weird occurrence. I dyed my feet red Sunday night.

Not on purpose. I was cleaning a pond, which is a wet job, so I put on a pair of cheapie slip-on canvas shoes which I'd never worn, as they're a bit small, but water wouldn't hurt them. Or so I thought. When I was done, I went in the basement door and started to take off my grubbies, and took off the shoes, which were completely saturated, and there was a perfect pattern of where they had been in bright, cherry red! I was horrified! The first thing I thought was that I wouldn't be able to wear sandals or even open-toed shoes to the luncheon on Monday. (First things first, of course.) I scrubbed and scrubbed, and they'd look clean and in a moment, they were red again. It was as if the dye was just coming out of me. I finally got it pretty good, and told Pearle if I had some weird allergic reaction, it was the shoes. I had visions of weird, lead-laced dyes, since the shoes were very cheap and probably had no quality control whatsoever. Apparently I'm fine. Just hope it wasn't Red Dye #2.

Life is so exciting, isn't it?

Fast Thread

 

I have been listening to some experts who like cotton thread for garment construction, and since I've tried silk and liked that, I thought another natural fiber would probably be very nice also. I bought a couple spools of DMC 100% Cotton 50wt. Machine Embroidery Thread at a sewing expo last summer, and didn't actually try any until now. I bought a couple colors "on spec" and just didn't get to one of them before. Anyway, I have decided that I like this thread very much after using it on my Flounce Blouse.

Next problem, where to get more? I found a supplier at Soft Expressions. They have all the colors and a decent price too. What I didn't realize was how fast they were. I ordered just after midnight Thursday, and the thread was in my mailbox this morning! About 58 hours all told. I think they might hold the record, although for speed plus distance, Bendigo still has them beat. Anyway, that's my little box of thread above. I'm not sure what I'll do with the variegated spool, but I think it might be fun for topstitching something.

It's been raining here, and I've been doing some semi-major housecleaning and clearing out. I've got quite the assortment to go to the Salvation Army (because they will come and get it) and I need to just call and have them come, and then again later when I have more. I'm actually letting some of my sewn garments go. They're not particularly new, but they're timeless pieces (I tell myself) and someone should get some use out of them, and maybe even like them.

I did finally break down and buy a Roomba as well, and I've been so pleased with it. (This is what they look like, in case you haven't seem one.) I have almost all wood floors on the first floor, and it's wonderful on non-carpeted surfaces. It's fine on carpet that's not too deep a pile as well, so it does pretty well almost everywhere. I get the biggest kick out of watching it just keep on rolling along when it comes to furniture, as it's able to go under most things, and it will disappear under a sofa skirt and then reappear pretty soon going the other direction. It's almost more like a toy than a tool, but it's not just for fun, it does the job. The other day I felt so virtuous because the dishwasher was washing, the Roomba was vacuuming, and I was out mowing the lawn.

Well, I probably am easily thrilled.