This and that

The weather forecast for this weekend was so dismal that we decided to play it by ear. On Friday I went with the boys to see the last Harry Potter movie; this we did at my insistence since the boys had lost interest in this series a while back. Well, I really enjoyed the movie (the 3-D portion of it which was maybe 15 minutes long was great) and so did the boys. Once the movie was done they started drilling me for information and when we got home my oldest picked up the last book and he is now halfway done :-)



On Saturday we went for a long walk in the humidity but no rain. Before that my oldest helped his father to trim one of our trees and in the process they found a tree frog.


On Sunday we did chores around the house and got the backpacks ready for school, since today was the first day. I also got to do keep working on my pink quilt. I finally finished the back which is pieced with the fabric leftovers from the top, and I started to pin in preparation for the quilting.


The colors are more intense in the photo than real life

This morning the boys were excited to start, even though they will deny it. No pictures though, they are teenage/preteen boys and no longer want to document every event.

One more:

Here is the baby quilt I made for my nephew; his parents decided to hang the quilt and enjoy the colors that go so well with his room.

Textured Circle Shrug

So I finally finished this shrug that I began with the KAL over at Lion Brand. I'm glad I did it this way, there was something about the way the instructions were written that threw me off, I'm sure it was just me so I was glad I had her (Stephanie Japel) expanded instructions with detail photos to guide me. This is basically knit in a circle (hence the name) with increases in key areas to give the shaping. The 1x1 rib and then the seed stitch border took forever but it was easy knitting.

I love the color of this yarn (Universal Yarn Deluxe Solids) but it is 100% wool and quite itchy specially in 80 degree weather. I plan to wear it on top of long sleeved tops.

Ugh! looking at these photos reinforces that I need to do something about my tired looking hair...

What I did instead of modifying a pattern

The month of August has been emotionally exhausting and now my body caught up with me, so even though I was very excited to watch Project Runway again and start sewing I couldn't bring myself to work on my next garment project. Instead I took out my quilting fabrics and started playing with prints and colors. Here is a peek at the result.




I've wanted to make a pink and white quilt for a long time, and therefore I bought quite a few fabrics in that color. I know prefer more modern looking prints and brighter colors but I can still see the charm of a totally girly and feminine quilt. This quilt will go together fast,just simple squares and straight lines quilting.

The boyfriend jacket

I like the look of the boyfriend jacket. I always have, back in the 80's I wore a smoking jacket that belonged to my father in the 50's (he didn't smoke and mom says he might have worn the jacket once)and I loved the relaxed and comfortable look. It seems that this style is back and I will be making my own.



LaROK 'Charms of Perfection' Jacket from Nordstrom.com

I found the McCall's pattern during Joann's last $1.00 sale and even though I haven't compared it or looked for other versions, I figured for that price I would get it. I like the lines of it and the welt pockets will finally force me to try them. I have plenty of jacket fabrics so shopping my stash will be the way to go.



Chloe's boyfriend jacket from Nordstrom.com

I will still like to do at least one more summer outfit, something in linen, so I'm not starting the jacket right away. That will give me more time to look at other patterns..;-)

BurdaWOF 2-2009 124 A

I made view A which is supposed to be unlined, view B has underlining because is made with lace. My dress has an underlined bodice and a lining from the empire waist down. The fabric, an embroidered cotton from Metro Textiles needed I believed extra body to carry this semi-fitted look and a lining just makes the garment hang better and more comfortable to wear. The underlining/lining fabric is cotton batiste;the fashion fabric was washed as well as the batiste but the finished dress will go to the cleaners to preserve the shaping in the dress.

The back has a pretty v neck.


The facings are interfaced and tacked down by hand to the underlining.

The hem is interfaced up the finished hem line for a crisp look; I attached rayon seam binding to the raw edge and sewed it by hand.

The shoulder seams and the armhole edges are bound with packaged bias binding, I would like them not as wide better but I was in a hurry to finish and didn't want to redo them. I sewed by hand the armhole allowances to the underlining.

The fit in the bodice felt a bit loose to me, even though I made my usual size. I might have done more fitting but I really wanted to wear this dress to an event this past weekend. All in all I like this dress, is simple but elegant and it will look a lot more casual made up in a print.

I'm still deciding what my next project will be. I'm thinking linen even though the summer is ending...

A non sewing week

Last week we had house guests and so the sewing room was a guest room and my machine was resting.

We had a nice visit with family and one of the activities was fishing at one of our local parks. We also made a visit to the Botanical Gardens, below are pictures of two of their botanical art exhibits. The gardens always have an art exhibit of botanical nature, of course, that is housed in a nice air conditioned room; I photographed my favorites.

Next week I'll have pictures of another dress, stay tuned!

Simplicity 3803 view B

I made this pattern two summers ago but never reviewed it. I wore it the first summer then over the winter gained 10 lbs and couldn't wear it the following summer. This year I get to wear it again since I lost the extra weight(yay!!)

I used a cotton seersucker from Joann's that I had bought originally to make a long skirt. The bodice is lined (with cotton batiste) per the Simplicity instructions, the skirt is unlined. I don't remember that anyone had any problems with this pattern but I had a lot of gaping in the bodice in the armscye, which I took in by easing it and securing it with 1/4 inch cotton tape.

I wore it all day friday (which unfortunately included being under torrential rains) and it is not only comfortable but kept me cool in the hot summer weather. It is not the style to show your shape, that is why my husband doesn't like it, he prefers I emphasize my waist, so I just won't wear it when I'm with him ;-)

When life gives you lemons...

Well, I'm happy to report my ankle is much better, I guess nursing it was the right thing to do. So...while I rested, I finished a couple of knitting projects.

The Autumn Cable Mitts (pattern available for purchase at Ravelry)were finished. I really like them! I had no trouble with the pattern. My husband calls them the Victorian pauper look gloves, men...



I also finished this top that has been in a bag needing finishing for a couple of years now. The reason for my neglect is that from the start the way the decreases were done was not turning out smooth, and even though I try different things I couldn't fix it. After sewing the shoulder bands you can see that gathers are even more pronounced. I decided that to get it out of the unfinished pile I would call these gathers a "design element" and just wear it. This design is from Burda WOF 2005 and I loved it as soon as I saw it, but the knitting directions are not any better than the sewing ones.




When I got tired of knitting I gave myself a manicure, isn't this color fun for summer is OPI's Cajun Shrimp.




I'm off to cut my Burda dress (2-2009 124). I have to use a different fabric as the Michael's fabric wasn't enough yardage ( I have learned since then to be more generous when ordering ), instead I'm using an embroidered cotton from Metro Textiles.

An unexpected trip

...down my cellar steps. Yes, yesterday while reorganizing the sewing/guest room I fell down about 3 steps to the cellar floor. I feel pretty dumb, I couldn't see the steps because of the bin I was carrying and I thought I was on the last step. Thankfully all I got is a swollen ankle and pains all over my body. The bin is meant to hold my knitting magazines which along with the Burdas and other assorted magazines are taking over the sewing/guest room.

Stefani Japel's Textured Circle Shrug

So today I'll try to take it easy on the ankle. I did blocked the sweater I'm in the middle of (it was a knit-along on the Lion Brand website, but I'm late), it needed blocking to sew up the sleeves before continuing knitting. I also finished my fingerless gloves, pictures soon. Burda WOF 2-2009 124 has been traced and altered and waiting for me to cut it, I'm using a beautiful cotton/rayon from Michael's fabrics which I've had for a while and I yet to locate lining in my stash.



Have a good and safe day!

A weekend in Southern MD or how to find links to sewing everywhere you go

On Saturday morning my family and I headed to Calvert County to visit the Marine Museum, it is a great little museum we have visited at least twice before. It has attractions for both adults and children, it is full of information (especially anything to do with fossils) about marine life in the Cheasepeake, a beautiful lighthouse that has been restored, they offer a boat ride and plenty of exhibits. There is a great exhibit showing a clear nose stingray egg sack with the live baby at different stages.

Here is a picture of the lighthouse, inside it is fully furnished ( I forget which time frame the furnishings represent) and there is this great treadle machine in one of the sitting rooms.







In the history of the area exhibits they show the Singer used to put together sails. A funny fact was that the people working on the sails preferred the hand stitching because the machine did not produce the quality stitches they could get by hand. This was a motorized machine.



After the museum we went south again to St Marys County all the way to Point Lookout State Park. The kids enjoyed going in for a dip in the Potomac river and my husband and I relaxed in the sun and pleasant breezes.







The next day we visited the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. We got a private tour with a retired navy officer who loved telling us war stories, the kids remembered things they learned in school and would ask him for more info which just about made his day. He pointed out to me this World War II flight simulator made by Singer!!





The outdoor exhibit had quite a few airplanes on display, including a Cessna (above) very similar to the one I flew in during my flight test engineer days.

Afterwards we headed to Historic St Mary's City (St Mary's was the capital of Maryland before Annapolis). I had been there about 15 years ago and they have done quite a bit in renovations and reproductions. The site alone is beautiful next to St Mary's river. The city is a living museum where people walk around in costume and going about their daily lives and the best part you can touch everything!

This sewing needle is made of deer bone and used by the Native Americans for sewing leather.



Some more pictures from St Mary's city...





It was a wonderful mini vacation!


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About the Vogue dress...I decided to raise the hemline to knee level. I'm waiting for my mom to give me a hand to mark the new hemline. In the meantime, another dress from Burda WOF is coming up.

Burda WOF 3-2009 101 or the "I feel like such a 70's chick" dress

Well, I love the dress!!I know it is probably a lot of print for some but I guess I don't scare easily ;-). The neckline and placket which I talked about in another post reminds me of the 70's style and that is why the title.

This fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics was a dream to sew with and it feels smooth and cool against the skin.

I am at a loss why my waist band came out so short, I might make it again with more length.

Here is a picture of the back.

Vogue 7793

I believe this one is OOP, I have had it forever. I initially wanted to use this pattern to make a dress for a wedding I was going last fall but the fabric I wanted to use for it was not wide enough to cut the dolman type sleeves so I used this printed batiste(which I bought when I first visited Kashi last year, and he still had it when I went a month ago); I put it all away, fall was coming and I would not wear it until the next spring/summer. I pulled it out again recently and started working on it.

It almost didn't get made because I had cut the bodice too small. I think the problem was this pattern was 6-8-10 sizing which I rarely use I prefer 8-10-12 which works perfect for my measurements, 8 at the shoulders sizing up to 12 in the chest area. I don't worry about having to go to a 14/16 for waist and hip those are easy alterations. Anyways, when I cut it I must have thought the biggest size was a 12 and there was my problem. I was able to re-cut the waist bodice pieces and then by sacrificing length in the skirt I moved the pieces up to cut the waist lower and so give me a bigger size at the waist and hip.

I interlined the skirt since this fabric is fairly sheer but left the bodice and sleeves alone since the busy print gives me coverage and makes it really nice to wear in hot days. I eliminated the facings and use binding at the neckline following Shaffer's High Fashion Sewing Secrets instructions.



Here is a picture of the invisible zipper, I always mark on the zipper the level at which the seams fall after sewing one side, so that I know that I have to place the opposite seams at the same spot, it works well.



I struggled with the length of this dress, the pattern has it really long, and the combination of the print and length made me look really frumpy, of course the shoes I tried it on with didn't help.


Original length

I think the length I ended up with is ok, but do you think I should try shorter?


Shorter length

Progress in sewing and knitting

It has been a while since I attached a collar and then of course Burda WOF instructions are a bit cryptic but I like the way the collar and placket turned out, it yields a very clean finish inside and out. You can also see the pleats which I ended up working from the right side of the fabric to make them look like the picture in Burda's website.


View of the undercollar which was topstitched.


I did make the under collar a tad shorter than the upper collar to help with the shaping and hiding the seams.

So now the most time consuming sewing on the dress is done, I should be able to finish it the next time I sit down to sew.

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If you are wondering why there is a table top on my flower pot is to keep the squirrels from digging out a young plant which they have done now twice!


Our Clio, the beagle, in the background

I have been knitting these fingerless mittens with a gorgeous yarn
I bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this year. I love this yarn and I love the pattern (from Ravelry Autumn Cable Mitts). I had never made mittens/gloves before and I had a hard time "seeing" how the thumb was coming together, but now I'm almost done and will start the next one.

Just one more...


Fireworks in our yard

Happy sewing and knitting!