That's how long I have to wait until life calms down enough that I'll be able to get some sewing and knitting done!!! I have two finished knitting projects and one underway that I need to photograph and post.
I have a short list of sewing and knitting projects, plus some machine embroidery projects that I need to complete. My sewing room is almost completely re-organized, but definitely usable in it's current state.
Here is my to-do list:
- Finish a UFO from last winter (my husband's back problems prevented me from finishing it)
- Set up the knitting machine and actually learn how to use it. I have a couple of sewing patterns that I have been looking for a particular type of sweater knit to make, so I think I'm going to make some panels of sweater knit on the knitting machine and see how that works. I may just find a regular knitting pattern, but I think this will be good practice for the machine.
- Embroider three aprons for my father-in-law. This must be done before the July 4th weekend.
- Make a Hawaiian-style shirt for my father-in-law. This is something I promised him last Christmas, but was never able to get to due to my husband's back problems and subsequent surgery.
- Finish re-organizing my sewing room. This may not happen until after the July 4th weekend. Right now I'm taking double credits for my degree, so when I'm not studying, doing housework or spending time with my family, I only have the energy to sit in my chair and knit.
After I finish the items on my to-do list I will be able to get back in the sewing room full time and work on various projects. I have a few preliminary projects that I would like to accomplish:
- I need a lightweight short-sleeved black shrug for summer. Something that I can wear to dress up camisoles and tank tops during the 100 degree days. I have white, coral and purple shrugs (the purple one I made, the rest are RTW), but I'm missing a basic black.
- I have a rather long queue on Ravelry of items I would like to make. After I make the shrug, my next project will probably be a fall transitional piece and a sweater vest.
- I am making a fall/winter cardigan for my son. Details on that will come soon. I am also going to make him a lightweight cotton sweater for late summer/early fall and winter layering.
- Perfect my slacks pattern and muslin and make the Jalie jeans pattern. Come fall I will need these items.
That's about it for now, my focus is going to be primarily on knitting and perfecting a couple of pants patterns. I will probably make a few summer items here and there, but most of my sewing planning will revolve around fall/winter since that's what I have the most need for at the moment and the next few months will go by so quickly.
As with all of my plans, I really REALLY hope that I'll have time to work on them. It's a matter of finding free time at home with a toddler, full time job and full time school (one more year and I'm free!!!).
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label musings. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
happy Mother's Day!
So I know it's not until Sunday, but I doubt I'm going to be online much this weekend. In addition to festivities celebrating my 2nd Mother's Day (brunch at my house with my mom, almost step-father and grandparents), I have some preparation for our vacation to do, three school assignments to complete, a computer re-build to finish for my husband and a knitting project to complete (hopefully). There will definitely be no sewing taking place.
I just wanted to wish everyone out there a happy Mother's Day! I hope it turns out to be a special day for each of you!
I just wanted to wish everyone out there a happy Mother's Day! I hope it turns out to be a special day for each of you!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
lace is done
I finished up the lace band last night at about 10:30pm. I thought about blocking it then, but changed my mind because I was sort of brain-dead for the last few inches of lace. There are a few mistakes where the pattern doesn't line up properly and while I tend to be somewhat of a perfectionist, I decided to call it good. It won't be noticeable with my dress and I'll just wear dark colors underneath it when I wear it after. Overall, I am very impressed with my first foray into non-scarf knitting.
My next project is Green Gable. I loved Adrienne's version and wanted something suitable for both the Reno summer and an air conditioned office. I think this should work well. I am going to cast on while I'm blocking the lace.
On the sewing front, I have my sewing room almost put back together with my new tables and will get started both on the dress for my mom's wedding and a couple of UFOs that have been sitting around waiting for me to finish them. I have a couple of tops and some skirts that just need things like hems!
My next project is Green Gable. I loved Adrienne's version and wanted something suitable for both the Reno summer and an air conditioned office. I think this should work well. I am going to cast on while I'm blocking the lace.
On the sewing front, I have my sewing room almost put back together with my new tables and will get started both on the dress for my mom's wedding and a couple of UFOs that have been sitting around waiting for me to finish them. I have a couple of tops and some skirts that just need things like hems!
Monday, April 13, 2009
I really need to post some pictures
There is so much going on and hopefully I'll soon have time to share some of it with the world! Over the past week, while I have been slaving away at work and school, my husband has been revamping the front yard. Our house is now 4 years old and we still had the original "dry" or "natural" landscaping. Because Reno is considered high desert, most of the landscaping consists of sagebrush and other native types of plants. The problem is that the landscapers hired by the builder were not paid to make it pretty, just to plant the plants. Half of them died the first year and half of the remainder have died over the past 3 years. There are three houses in our cul-de-sac and the other two have fabulous yards. We decided this year we would join their ranks. Here are some pictures of what he accomplished in just a few short days.
Here is the front porch - that's honeysuckle on the lattice and tulips in the planter boxes
A couple views of the strange triangle-shaped planter in the front of the yard. Our front yard is long and skinny since we are on the edge of a small cul-de-sac. He put a little brick wall up along the edge and we'll probably plant some shrubs in the little area behind it
In fiber-related news...I am now the proud owner of a Speed-O-Knit knitting machine by PASSAP. I don't have a picture of it yet, as it is still sitting in pieces on my dining room table, but as soon as I get it set up in the sewing room I'll post a picture of the actual machine. For now, if you click on this link, it will take you to an eBay auction of the exact same machine (although because mine was purchased by my pack-rat grandmother in the 1950s, I still have the book and the original receipt!).
I have also been practicing my knitting and doing some planning. My mom is getting re-married in mid-June and she wants her sisters and me to wear purple. I found this really pretty purple floral chiffon burnout at Joann's over the weekend and I'm going to underline it with a lavender matte satin. I still haven't figured out what dress I'm going to make, but it's going to be sleeveless or strapless and I plan on knitting a lightweight shrug to cover my shoulders. I have a few ideas, but I need the dress plan finalized before I decide. In the meantime, I have decided to practice my knitting skills. I'm halfway done with a cable scarf and then I want to do some swatches of some different lace motifs that I found on the internet to practice more intricate work. It's been more than 10 years since I last attempted to knit, and this time I think I finally got it down...we'll see if I'm being overly-confident. I'll post pictures of the fabric as soon as I figure out what dress I'm going to make.
I also realized that I never did post a picture of me in my Galaxy dress. I will try to post those pictures soon too.
Here is the front porch - that's honeysuckle on the lattice and tulips in the planter boxes
A couple views of the strange triangle-shaped planter in the front of the yard. Our front yard is long and skinny since we are on the edge of a small cul-de-sac. He put a little brick wall up along the edge and we'll probably plant some shrubs in the little area behind it
In fiber-related news...I am now the proud owner of a Speed-O-Knit knitting machine by PASSAP. I don't have a picture of it yet, as it is still sitting in pieces on my dining room table, but as soon as I get it set up in the sewing room I'll post a picture of the actual machine. For now, if you click on this link, it will take you to an eBay auction of the exact same machine (although because mine was purchased by my pack-rat grandmother in the 1950s, I still have the book and the original receipt!).
I have also been practicing my knitting and doing some planning. My mom is getting re-married in mid-June and she wants her sisters and me to wear purple. I found this really pretty purple floral chiffon burnout at Joann's over the weekend and I'm going to underline it with a lavender matte satin. I still haven't figured out what dress I'm going to make, but it's going to be sleeveless or strapless and I plan on knitting a lightweight shrug to cover my shoulders. I have a few ideas, but I need the dress plan finalized before I decide. In the meantime, I have decided to practice my knitting skills. I'm halfway done with a cable scarf and then I want to do some swatches of some different lace motifs that I found on the internet to practice more intricate work. It's been more than 10 years since I last attempted to knit, and this time I think I finally got it down...we'll see if I'm being overly-confident. I'll post pictures of the fabric as soon as I figure out what dress I'm going to make.
I also realized that I never did post a picture of me in my Galaxy dress. I will try to post those pictures soon too.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
holy toledo!
It's been a while since I've posted anything. And sadly, I have nothing new to share sewing-wise, but there has been a whole lot going on life-wise.
Baby Andrew turned 1 on February 11th. The next day at 4:30am I had to call an ambulance because my husband collapsed on the floor trying to take himself to the ER.
Now for the backstory:
He's been dealing with a lot of lower back and leg pain since before Thanksgiving. He had been seeing a doctor who insisted it was muscular and not skeletal and had been drugging him up with pain killers, muscle relaxants, steroids and diuretics. Nothing helped. A few days before the ambulance incident, he was FINALLY sent in for an MRI which came back negative. The doctor said the only other option was pain management. I had made him an appointment with my chiropractor since they take extensive xrays before starting any adjustments. I figured that would be the best second opinion we could get since the doctor wouldn't authorize it (damn HMOs!).
Anyway, fast forward to February 12th and the paramedics and fire department are in my living room trying to get my husband (who can't walk and is in so much pain he can barely breathe) onto the gurney. Once in the ER, they proceed to try and figure out what's wrong with him. After a little bit of conversation, they got his MRIs from the diagnostic center and then came the shock of the day: The stupid doctor requested an MRI of HIS LEG!!!!! No tests on his back, just his leg. Because the pain was radiating down his leg (even though it started in his lower back), the doctor assumed the issue was in his leg. We know he had ruled out blood clots and some other vascular and muscular issues, but we figured after a few weeks of nothing in that arena he would start looking at his back! Nope, just the leg. The ER ordered an MRI of his back and found he had a severely herniated disk between his L5 and Sacrum. So bad, that they couldn't actually let him leave the hospital for liability reasons since they were afraid it was about to rupture.
A few hours later they got him into surgery and now he's almost back to 100%. But since he is currently a stay-at-home dad and was unable to do any sort of lifting, bending, pulling or anything else that could cause post-surgery complications, my in-laws came to help out. They happened to be in southern Nevada (they live in southern California), so they were several hours closer than they would typically be; however, they were also on a vacation on a lake in their boat. So they cut their vacation short and towed the boat to Reno and here they have been since mid-February. They went home today.
It was great that they were able to come and help out, and it really helped Nate to get better, but it is stressful when there are other people in your space for an extended period of time. What made things more difficult was that I have a very long list of things I wanted to accomplish sewing-wise and the mojo to begin it...but no space since the sewing room doubles as a guest room in the infrequent occasion that someone stays with us - and because the situation surrounding their staying with us was unexpected, there was no time to plan. So no extracting sewing machines, fabric, patterns and notions to another part of the house so I could work on projects while they were here. I just didn't have the time to plan for that.
Now that I have my workspace back, I really hope that my mojo will remain in full swing and I'll be able to get some new garments done. Now, more than ever, I need to really ramp up my wardrobe to be more business professional and less casual or business casual. Wish me luck! I always seem to be needing it!
Baby Andrew turned 1 on February 11th. The next day at 4:30am I had to call an ambulance because my husband collapsed on the floor trying to take himself to the ER.
Now for the backstory:
He's been dealing with a lot of lower back and leg pain since before Thanksgiving. He had been seeing a doctor who insisted it was muscular and not skeletal and had been drugging him up with pain killers, muscle relaxants, steroids and diuretics. Nothing helped. A few days before the ambulance incident, he was FINALLY sent in for an MRI which came back negative. The doctor said the only other option was pain management. I had made him an appointment with my chiropractor since they take extensive xrays before starting any adjustments. I figured that would be the best second opinion we could get since the doctor wouldn't authorize it (damn HMOs!).
Anyway, fast forward to February 12th and the paramedics and fire department are in my living room trying to get my husband (who can't walk and is in so much pain he can barely breathe) onto the gurney. Once in the ER, they proceed to try and figure out what's wrong with him. After a little bit of conversation, they got his MRIs from the diagnostic center and then came the shock of the day: The stupid doctor requested an MRI of HIS LEG!!!!! No tests on his back, just his leg. Because the pain was radiating down his leg (even though it started in his lower back), the doctor assumed the issue was in his leg. We know he had ruled out blood clots and some other vascular and muscular issues, but we figured after a few weeks of nothing in that arena he would start looking at his back! Nope, just the leg. The ER ordered an MRI of his back and found he had a severely herniated disk between his L5 and Sacrum. So bad, that they couldn't actually let him leave the hospital for liability reasons since they were afraid it was about to rupture.
A few hours later they got him into surgery and now he's almost back to 100%. But since he is currently a stay-at-home dad and was unable to do any sort of lifting, bending, pulling or anything else that could cause post-surgery complications, my in-laws came to help out. They happened to be in southern Nevada (they live in southern California), so they were several hours closer than they would typically be; however, they were also on a vacation on a lake in their boat. So they cut their vacation short and towed the boat to Reno and here they have been since mid-February. They went home today.
It was great that they were able to come and help out, and it really helped Nate to get better, but it is stressful when there are other people in your space for an extended period of time. What made things more difficult was that I have a very long list of things I wanted to accomplish sewing-wise and the mojo to begin it...but no space since the sewing room doubles as a guest room in the infrequent occasion that someone stays with us - and because the situation surrounding their staying with us was unexpected, there was no time to plan. So no extracting sewing machines, fabric, patterns and notions to another part of the house so I could work on projects while they were here. I just didn't have the time to plan for that.
Now that I have my workspace back, I really hope that my mojo will remain in full swing and I'll be able to get some new garments done. Now, more than ever, I need to really ramp up my wardrobe to be more business professional and less casual or business casual. Wish me luck! I always seem to be needing it!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
knitty knitty
A post all about knitting?? Who would've thunk it, especially since I can barely knit. I crochet like a madwoman and understand the basics of knitting, but I just haven't spent enough time practicing knitting to be good at it. I was remarking to my mom this past weekend (who is a great knitter) that I really need to learn how to knit. I see so many wonderful garments being knitted by other fiber artists that I really want to be able to "join the club" so to speak. She then asked me if I would like her knitting machine. Oh.My.GOODNESS!! I couldn't believe she still had it!!! It's bulky, heavy and you have to do everything manually, but it can knit ANYTHING and it's older than me (which means no cheap plastic construction - everything is sturdy metal). She still has the original bill of sale when my grandparents bought it back in the 60s for $50. I've always wanted to learn how to use it and now I get my chance!!!
I definitely still need/want to learn how to knit by hand with more skill, but this knitting machine is going to be FUN!!! The only downside is I get stuck with her entire stash of yarn...most of which is in ugly colors and scratchy acrylic. Oh well, it'll be good yarn to practice with!
I definitely still need/want to learn how to knit by hand with more skill, but this knitting machine is going to be FUN!!! The only downside is I get stuck with her entire stash of yarn...most of which is in ugly colors and scratchy acrylic. Oh well, it'll be good yarn to practice with!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
year in review??
So it's several days into 2009 and I've been thinking about some of what I had hoped to accomplish in the past year versus what I actually accomplished. I determined I got in a little over my head with planning for garments that have yet to see the light of day. Having a baby in mid-February has made it difficult to get as much accomplished as I had hoped and by the time I started having spare time and sewing mojo, it was time to work on Christmas gifts.
What did I accomplish in 2008?
*I made 2 baby quilts (one for Andrew and one for a friend's baby)
*I did several machine embroidery projects (lipstick cases, photo frames, Christmas cards, quilts and the beginnings of three advent calendars)
*I made a machine embroidered and quilted wall hanging for my sister-in-law
*I made a machine embroidered and quilted sewing tote for my mother-in-law
*I made three tops, three skirts and a dress over the summer
*I made a Galaxy-inspired dress for my company holiday party
*I also completed two large-scale cross-stitch designs (one for my son and one for a friend)
Not as much as I had hoped, but quite good considering life constraints - and the fact that I did absolutely no sewing in 2007 and the first half of 2008. I also started several projects that are not yet finished. These include coats for my husband and myself, a shirt for my husband, a shirt for my father-in-law and a skirt that I started over the summer and have yet to finish.
During my pregnancy, I expressed a dire need for business-appropriate attire. Even though I work in a fairly casual office, I have decided to start dressing for the job I want rather than the job I currently have. So for 2009, in addition to finishing outstanding projects and some more craft and machine-embroidery projects, I would like to make another coat (perhaps two), a blazer and dress skirts and slacks to wear to work. I would also like to make a pair of trouser jeans that are styled after the best pair of jeans I have ever owned (they just happen to be maternity jeans and since I have no plans of having another baby I won't be able to wear them again). I hope that this short list is not all that I accomplish in 2009, but I have to start somewhere and I've found my previous years' goals were too lofty given other responsibilities I have in my life.
Aside from sewing-related goals for 2009, my other primary resolution is to work on my time management. I work a standard 40-hour work week and have weekends off. I am approaching my 5-year anniversary at my company and will then double my vacation time (I already get 2 weeks of vacation and 2 weeks of sick each year). I attend school one night a week and have reading and writing assignments for class. My son is nearing his first birthday and although he is becoming more independent, he needs more supervision than ever before (he's almost walking). My intention is to find 30 minutes each day to spend on sewing and craft-related projects and spread school work out to one hour each day instead of an entire weekend day as I do now. If I can accomplish this, I will have more time during the weekends to spend with my family and on sewing projects without compromising my other responsibilities.
Wish me luck!
What did I accomplish in 2008?
*I made 2 baby quilts (one for Andrew and one for a friend's baby)
*I did several machine embroidery projects (lipstick cases, photo frames, Christmas cards, quilts and the beginnings of three advent calendars)
*I made a machine embroidered and quilted wall hanging for my sister-in-law
*I made a machine embroidered and quilted sewing tote for my mother-in-law
*I made three tops, three skirts and a dress over the summer
*I made a Galaxy-inspired dress for my company holiday party
*I also completed two large-scale cross-stitch designs (one for my son and one for a friend)
Not as much as I had hoped, but quite good considering life constraints - and the fact that I did absolutely no sewing in 2007 and the first half of 2008. I also started several projects that are not yet finished. These include coats for my husband and myself, a shirt for my husband, a shirt for my father-in-law and a skirt that I started over the summer and have yet to finish.
During my pregnancy, I expressed a dire need for business-appropriate attire. Even though I work in a fairly casual office, I have decided to start dressing for the job I want rather than the job I currently have. So for 2009, in addition to finishing outstanding projects and some more craft and machine-embroidery projects, I would like to make another coat (perhaps two), a blazer and dress skirts and slacks to wear to work. I would also like to make a pair of trouser jeans that are styled after the best pair of jeans I have ever owned (they just happen to be maternity jeans and since I have no plans of having another baby I won't be able to wear them again). I hope that this short list is not all that I accomplish in 2009, but I have to start somewhere and I've found my previous years' goals were too lofty given other responsibilities I have in my life.
Aside from sewing-related goals for 2009, my other primary resolution is to work on my time management. I work a standard 40-hour work week and have weekends off. I am approaching my 5-year anniversary at my company and will then double my vacation time (I already get 2 weeks of vacation and 2 weeks of sick each year). I attend school one night a week and have reading and writing assignments for class. My son is nearing his first birthday and although he is becoming more independent, he needs more supervision than ever before (he's almost walking). My intention is to find 30 minutes each day to spend on sewing and craft-related projects and spread school work out to one hour each day instead of an entire weekend day as I do now. If I can accomplish this, I will have more time during the weekends to spend with my family and on sewing projects without compromising my other responsibilities.
Wish me luck!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
all I want for Christmas...
I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I certainly did!! Hubby and I took the baby to the lake cabin to spend the week with his family. We arrived Christmas Eve after I got off work and are staying through New Years weekend. It's nice to have something that resembles a vacation!
So Ann tagged everyone to list what they got for Christmas. This year was great despite the economy. What I got:
*A remote car starter for my Xterra (a gift from my husband - it's wonderful considering how much snow we've gotten)
*A pair of chocolate-brown Uggs (I've wanted these for a long time)
*A Swarovski crystal tennis bracelet and matching earrings
*$50 Barnes & Noble gift card
*$200 Walmart gift card
*8" Viewsonic digital photo frame
*$100 check from my grandparents
*An awesome white and silver snowman cookie jar
*Movie tickets and babysitting from a good friend
*Some really great hand-crafted Christmas decorations
*Stuff from my mom that I haven't even received yet since I won't see her for a couple more weeks
What's funny is that this Christmas the hubby and I expected far fewer gifts because everyone was making a big deal about this being Drew's first Christmas (which is what we expected). Then, to our surprise, we actually got quite a few wonderful gifts! Drew definitely got the most gifts - of the 6 of us at the cabin, Drew got more than half of the presents under the tree. So much for taking back less than we brought up!! To top everything off, we had a wonderful turkey dinner followed by the best prime rib (my mother-in-law makes the best prime rib ever) the next evening. This is definitely one of the best vacations I've had in a long time!
So Ann tagged everyone to list what they got for Christmas. This year was great despite the economy. What I got:
*A remote car starter for my Xterra (a gift from my husband - it's wonderful considering how much snow we've gotten)
*A pair of chocolate-brown Uggs (I've wanted these for a long time)
*A Swarovski crystal tennis bracelet and matching earrings
*$50 Barnes & Noble gift card
*$200 Walmart gift card
*8" Viewsonic digital photo frame
*$100 check from my grandparents
*An awesome white and silver snowman cookie jar
*Movie tickets and babysitting from a good friend
*Some really great hand-crafted Christmas decorations
*Stuff from my mom that I haven't even received yet since I won't see her for a couple more weeks
What's funny is that this Christmas the hubby and I expected far fewer gifts because everyone was making a big deal about this being Drew's first Christmas (which is what we expected). Then, to our surprise, we actually got quite a few wonderful gifts! Drew definitely got the most gifts - of the 6 of us at the cabin, Drew got more than half of the presents under the tree. So much for taking back less than we brought up!! To top everything off, we had a wonderful turkey dinner followed by the best prime rib (my mother-in-law makes the best prime rib ever) the next evening. This is definitely one of the best vacations I've had in a long time!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
I had 30 minutes yesterday...
and I was able to accomplish quite a bit! I got home around 10pm from my class and couldn't sleep so I went into the newly re-organized sewing room (more on that later) and began work on my Glaxy-inspired dress. I don't have pictures of my progress, but so far all I did were baste the darts. Because I made a few modifications, I wanted to make sure the darts were in the correct spot. They turned out pretty good.
I still need to press and cut out the lining (I'll do that tonight) and decide if I want to underline or interface (or neither) the bodice. I am going to play around with a couple of options tonight before I do anything more with the bodice.
I also still need to finish up some Christmas gifts - I have some machine embroidery work, some quilting work and a shirt that need to be made. So much to do and so little time. I've decided I'm going to devote as many evenings as I can to getting all of this finished.
I still need to press and cut out the lining (I'll do that tonight) and decide if I want to underline or interface (or neither) the bodice. I am going to play around with a couple of options tonight before I do anything more with the bodice.
I also still need to finish up some Christmas gifts - I have some machine embroidery work, some quilting work and a shirt that need to be made. So much to do and so little time. I've decided I'm going to devote as many evenings as I can to getting all of this finished.
Friday, November 28, 2008
I'm thankful for...
Among my family, friends and healthy son, I'm thankful for UPS and Allbrands! My iron, which was supposed to arrive Monday, actually arrived on Wednesday evening!!!! I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I plan on pre-treating my wool crepe today and getting started on my Galaxy-inspired dress!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving celebration. Because it was just the three of us this year, we didn't make a traditional meal. Instead, I made pork adobo (my favorite spicy pork!) with tortillas, rice and beans. It was delicious!!!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving celebration. Because it was just the three of us this year, we didn't make a traditional meal. Instead, I made pork adobo (my favorite spicy pork!) with tortillas, rice and beans. It was delicious!!!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
blasted holiday!
Ok, I love Thanksgiving, but because UPS doesn't operate on Thanksgiving day or the day after, I won't get my iron until Monday. So much for working on the dress over the extended weekend. I guess I could have paid the additional $60+ to have it here today or tomorrow, but I really didn't *need* it so the justification would be difficult.
So now to call my dry cleaners and find out how much to have them do it for me - watch I'll find out it would have been worth paying for expedited shipping...I guess I can always borrow an iron.
So now to call my dry cleaners and find out how much to have them do it for me - watch I'll find out it would have been worth paying for expedited shipping...I guess I can always borrow an iron.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Merry Unbirthday to me!
So I started the process of pretreating my wool crepe for the Galaxy-inspired dress. After several swatches, my chosen method was to wash on the gentle, low-spin cycle in baby shampoo and then steam press until dry. All but one of my four 6"x6" swatches shrunk by 1/2" in the length and width. The fourth one shrunk by only a tiny bit less - and that was the swatch that was machine washed and hung to dry.
The only problem is that the steam function on my home iron is on the fritz. There is no way I want to steam press a 4 yard piece of fabric with my old home iron. As an early Christmas/merry unbirthday gift to myself, I bought a Consew Gravity Feed iron. It should be here on Friday (leave it to me to make a purchase during a holiday week). Because I really wanted to work on the dress over the holiday weekend, I will probably pretreat this length with my existing iron. I may even forego the spin cycle altogether and let the fabric generate it's own steam. One of my swatches used the soaking wet method and shrunk as much as it did in the dryer without changing the appearance or hand of the fabric.
So it looks like I have a plan B after all! But I can't wait until my new iron arrives, I've been putting it off for far too long!!
The only problem is that the steam function on my home iron is on the fritz. There is no way I want to steam press a 4 yard piece of fabric with my old home iron. As an early Christmas/merry unbirthday gift to myself, I bought a Consew Gravity Feed iron. It should be here on Friday (leave it to me to make a purchase during a holiday week). Because I really wanted to work on the dress over the holiday weekend, I will probably pretreat this length with my existing iron. I may even forego the spin cycle altogether and let the fabric generate it's own steam. One of my swatches used the soaking wet method and shrunk as much as it did in the dryer without changing the appearance or hand of the fabric.
So it looks like I have a plan B after all! But I can't wait until my new iron arrives, I've been putting it off for far too long!!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
nothing new to show
Since Drew is getting to the point where he can almost sit on his own, I've been spending all of my free sewing time working bits and pieces on a shopping cart cover for him. I wanted to make it from Alexander Henry's Tattoo fabric, but the only quilt shop in town that sells Alexander Henry no longer had it. Bless their hearts, the ladies that work at Windy Moon Quilts looked high and low to find it. It probably didn't help that it was smack in the middle of Hot August Nights when I was looking and most of their really cool fabrics were already depleted.
So I did manage to find an alternative tattoo fabric that was similar to the Alexander Henry print I wanted and bought some of that, a bright red batik and some lightweight black denim for the bottom of the cover. The denim is more of a chambray type of fabric but the whole thing looks really cool! I have to finish sewing on the pockets and toy tabs, add the elastic and the whole thing will be done. I should have it posted before the weekend.
In the meantime, enjoy a couple of pictures of the little one from our 4th of July celebration at the lake!
So I did manage to find an alternative tattoo fabric that was similar to the Alexander Henry print I wanted and bought some of that, a bright red batik and some lightweight black denim for the bottom of the cover. The denim is more of a chambray type of fabric but the whole thing looks really cool! I have to finish sewing on the pockets and toy tabs, add the elastic and the whole thing will be done. I should have it posted before the weekend.
In the meantime, enjoy a couple of pictures of the little one from our 4th of July celebration at the lake!
Monday, August 4, 2008
is this too matchy-matchy?
I was browsing Smart Bargains today and found this shoe:
I love it!! It's the same colorway and a very similar print to my geometric skirt from my last post.
I doubt I could really pull off such a matchy-matchy look, but with a solid brown or even an ivory Cosmo dress that aqua would really pop!
Thanks to everyone who enabled me to discover online shoe shopping...like I need another addiction/obsession/passion/money sink!
I love it!! It's the same colorway and a very similar print to my geometric skirt from my last post.
I doubt I could really pull off such a matchy-matchy look, but with a solid brown or even an ivory Cosmo dress that aqua would really pop!
Thanks to everyone who enabled me to discover online shoe shopping...like I need another addiction/obsession/passion/money sink!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Happy Anniversary!!
Today is my 2-year wedding anniversary to my dear husband. We actually celebrated our anniversary on Saturday since I have school tonight, but he took me out to a very nice anniversary lunch today. Although he doesn't read this - Happy Anniversary Nate!!
Back to sewing-related topics, I'm throwing in the towel on my JCC. I have had no time to devote to it AT ALL since the 10th and while I have the shirts for Drew cut out and ready to go, I don't anticipate having enough time in the next 5 days to get them finished. Part of the problem (although not a problem at all, really) is the fact that my in-laws were staying with us for the past few days. I actually had quite a bit of sewing mojo and time, but the sewing room doubles as the guest room so it was occupied. I really enjoy spending time with my in-laws and the lack of sewing room gave me some time to figure out what was bothering me about the muslin for my husband's coat. I already posted it for all of the readers of the Coat Sew Along blog, but I'll probably repost it here tonight after school or tomorrow.
In addition to just a lack of time for finishing my JCC, I realized that I do not have the proper mindset to focus on a SWAP-style plan and not stray from it. While I have no intention of straying from the plans that I put together for both my husband and our son, the timeframe made me take all focus away from summer clothes that I desperately need. I am more of a "make a list and complete it in whatever order suits me at the time". A SWAP-style plan is too rigid for how my mind works and I find myself spending more time planning and daydreaming about what I'll start after I'm done with my current plan than actually working on the plan! Sooooo, from now on I'm not going to take on any more SWAP/wardrobe type of challenges. I might start participating in some of the single-item contests on PR though, they look like a lot of fun and are really more up my alley in the contest realm.
I'm also thinking about getting more involved in other sewing endeavors in my community and that will take up quite a bit of time as well - I haven't quite found anything that speaks to me, but I know that when the time is right something will.
Back to sewing-related topics, I'm throwing in the towel on my JCC. I have had no time to devote to it AT ALL since the 10th and while I have the shirts for Drew cut out and ready to go, I don't anticipate having enough time in the next 5 days to get them finished. Part of the problem (although not a problem at all, really) is the fact that my in-laws were staying with us for the past few days. I actually had quite a bit of sewing mojo and time, but the sewing room doubles as the guest room so it was occupied. I really enjoy spending time with my in-laws and the lack of sewing room gave me some time to figure out what was bothering me about the muslin for my husband's coat. I already posted it for all of the readers of the Coat Sew Along blog, but I'll probably repost it here tonight after school or tomorrow.
In addition to just a lack of time for finishing my JCC, I realized that I do not have the proper mindset to focus on a SWAP-style plan and not stray from it. While I have no intention of straying from the plans that I put together for both my husband and our son, the timeframe made me take all focus away from summer clothes that I desperately need. I am more of a "make a list and complete it in whatever order suits me at the time". A SWAP-style plan is too rigid for how my mind works and I find myself spending more time planning and daydreaming about what I'll start after I'm done with my current plan than actually working on the plan! Sooooo, from now on I'm not going to take on any more SWAP/wardrobe type of challenges. I might start participating in some of the single-item contests on PR though, they look like a lot of fun and are really more up my alley in the contest realm.
I'm also thinking about getting more involved in other sewing endeavors in my community and that will take up quite a bit of time as well - I haven't quite found anything that speaks to me, but I know that when the time is right something will.
Friday, June 6, 2008
I'm IRRITATED!
TWO weeks ago I ordered several yards of the Burberry raincoat fabric in RED. TODAY I get an email from Denver Fabrics indicating that they have since sold out and cannot process my order. Now, I know that if the website isn't set up to keep track of inventory as purchases get made it's easy to place an order and have it sell out before you get your cut. I understand this; however, this fabric was still listed as in-stock on the website for a solid FIVE days after I placed my order. If it was sold out before they could process my order, it should have been marked as sold out much sooner, in my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong. In any event, I was stoked to think that I actually managed to get my hands on some of the red before it sold out. That's what I get for counting my chickens...
To top things off, my credit card had ALREADY BEEN CHARGED for the fabric!! I'll have to give a few days and see if they bother refunding my money. Generally, my credit card gets charged when an order is ready to be shipped. I know there are also exceptions to this, but I've ordered from both Denver (since they switched owners) and FFC before and it has always been my experience that the card was charged just before shipping.
Thanks for letting me rant. On a brighter note, the UPS man and the mailman have both been spending an awful lot of time at my house. This weekend I'll share all of the goodies that have come my way...
To top things off, my credit card had ALREADY BEEN CHARGED for the fabric!! I'll have to give a few days and see if they bother refunding my money. Generally, my credit card gets charged when an order is ready to be shipped. I know there are also exceptions to this, but I've ordered from both Denver (since they switched owners) and FFC before and it has always been my experience that the card was charged just before shipping.
Thanks for letting me rant. On a brighter note, the UPS man and the mailman have both been spending an awful lot of time at my house. This weekend I'll share all of the goodies that have come my way...
Friday, May 30, 2008
a big fat wadder...
Last weekend I made a skirt (I still need to photograph and post it) that was part of my original JCC plan (brown/aqua color scheme). I wanted to wear it to work earlier this week but needed some sort of top to go with it. Since I was short on time and even shorter on fabric, I decided to make a shrug. I used McCalls 5236
I made view E (lower right corner of the picture) without the ribbon tie. Well, let's just say I attempted. I'm not sure if I shifted something when I cut out the sleeve but there is way too much ease! I used a brown jersey and even with the strechiness of the fabric there was still too much ease in the cap!! I ended up having to gather the sleeve to fit it in and then it just looked silly. I'm not sure it's worth making a muslin for a basic shrug and since I have another 4 or 5 shrug patterns in my collection I think I'll go back to Hancock and pray they have more brown jersey (I used the fabric that was originally earmarked for trim on my Cosmo dress that has yet to be made) so I can make another one. Maybe this time I'll use one that is specifically designed for knits and not a "woven or knit". I am so disgusted I don't even want to take a picture...
I made view E (lower right corner of the picture) without the ribbon tie. Well, let's just say I attempted. I'm not sure if I shifted something when I cut out the sleeve but there is way too much ease! I used a brown jersey and even with the strechiness of the fabric there was still too much ease in the cap!! I ended up having to gather the sleeve to fit it in and then it just looked silly. I'm not sure it's worth making a muslin for a basic shrug and since I have another 4 or 5 shrug patterns in my collection I think I'll go back to Hancock and pray they have more brown jersey (I used the fabric that was originally earmarked for trim on my Cosmo dress that has yet to be made) so I can make another one. Maybe this time I'll use one that is specifically designed for knits and not a "woven or knit". I am so disgusted I don't even want to take a picture...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
June capsule contest
I decided to officially enter the June capsule contest at Stitchers Guild. My plan is called "Like Father, Like Son" and will be a matching set of clothes for my husband and our infant son. A little bit of background: my husband and I are big fans of the TV show Two and a Half Men. Charlie Sheen's character wears these retro/bowling style shirts on the show (it's his trademark for anyone who hasn't seen the show). My husband loves that style of shirt and has a few, but has been asking me for quite some time to make him some more. I had been putting it off until this contest came along. Since hubby has been wonderful at taking care of the baby and letting me have some sewing time, I decided I should reward him by using some of that time to make something for him. When the contest was announced I made a plan for myself - which I will still make for the summer - but I changed my mind and decided to enter a wardrobe for him. Hubby came up with the idea of making a matching wardrobe for the baby.
Here is the storyboard for my plan:
Since the challenge for the contest is no black, I had to order new colors of fabric for the shirts. I'm going to make khaki cargo shorts and the colorblocked shirts will be in shades of brown/tan and blues. I'll also be putting my new embroidery machine to good use by doing some custom embroidery on the colorblocked panels. I will probably not do any embroidery on the baby's shirts, but the basic design will match. There is also an accessory requirement and I'm going to make hats from the same fabric as the shorts.
I'm very excited to be doing this for my boys. My "before June" item will probably be the cargo shorts to get them out of the way and then I can make the shirts assembly-line style. If I'm unable to get the hats done in time, those will be my purchased item and I'll just buy something that goes with the ensembles. I hope to get the fabric in the next week and by then I'll have the shirt patterns created with the different colorblock configurations. My hope is that on June 1st I can start cutting everything out and get started!
Wish me luck - I may have just gotten in over my head...again :)
Here is the storyboard for my plan:
Since the challenge for the contest is no black, I had to order new colors of fabric for the shirts. I'm going to make khaki cargo shorts and the colorblocked shirts will be in shades of brown/tan and blues. I'll also be putting my new embroidery machine to good use by doing some custom embroidery on the colorblocked panels. I will probably not do any embroidery on the baby's shirts, but the basic design will match. There is also an accessory requirement and I'm going to make hats from the same fabric as the shorts.
I'm very excited to be doing this for my boys. My "before June" item will probably be the cargo shorts to get them out of the way and then I can make the shirts assembly-line style. If I'm unable to get the hats done in time, those will be my purchased item and I'll just buy something that goes with the ensembles. I hope to get the fabric in the next week and by then I'll have the shirt patterns created with the different colorblock configurations. My hope is that on June 1st I can start cutting everything out and get started!
Wish me luck - I may have just gotten in over my head...again :)
Monday, May 12, 2008
happy Mother's Day to me!
This is what I got for Mother's Day:
The Lucky Shopping Manual. I have only skimmed through it briefly, but it contains a lot of great information on how to shop for everything and what looks best on certain body types. It has a lot of eye candy for inspiration as well.
I also put some of my personal sewing on hold temporarily to sew for my hubby. He has been requesting some retro/bowling style shirts for some time and that was part of the reason I got my embroidery machine for Christmas. The dog ate the Vogue pattern I usually use and I haven't replaced it yet (he was only a few months old, so it was over a year since I've even ATTEMPMTED to sew for hubby), so I'm trying out a now OOP Simplicity Threads pattern. I don't have the pattern numbers handy or else I'd post them, but I'll post all about it when I'm done with this first shirt.
ETA: I almost forgot!! Hubby and I went to Barnes and Noble after our early breakfast yesterday morning and they FINALLY have Burda WOF on their newsstand. Even though I have a subscription, it made me feel better to know that I won't miss out if I ever forget to rewnew on time! Reno is growing up...
The Lucky Shopping Manual. I have only skimmed through it briefly, but it contains a lot of great information on how to shop for everything and what looks best on certain body types. It has a lot of eye candy for inspiration as well.
I also put some of my personal sewing on hold temporarily to sew for my hubby. He has been requesting some retro/bowling style shirts for some time and that was part of the reason I got my embroidery machine for Christmas. The dog ate the Vogue pattern I usually use and I haven't replaced it yet (he was only a few months old, so it was over a year since I've even ATTEMPMTED to sew for hubby), so I'm trying out a now OOP Simplicity Threads pattern. I don't have the pattern numbers handy or else I'd post them, but I'll post all about it when I'm done with this first shirt.
ETA: I almost forgot!! Hubby and I went to Barnes and Noble after our early breakfast yesterday morning and they FINALLY have Burda WOF on their newsstand. Even though I have a subscription, it made me feel better to know that I won't miss out if I ever forget to rewnew on time! Reno is growing up...
Monday, April 21, 2008
I'm sewing!
FINALLY!!!! I don't have any pictures to post yet, but I finished one skirt yesterday and I have another skirt and a top cut out and ready to sew. I'll make one big post when I have them all done since they are all patterns I've made before and posted on this blog...
After my two skirts and top are finished, I have a short list of garments that I would like to make next. They include a faux suede military-style jacket (I was inspired by Erica's faux nubuck jacket. I already have the suede and pattern and reading Erica's blog and review cinched the combo for me.
This weekend I helped my mom start a SWAP-style wardrobe plan. It's not complete and for her needs it's not going to be true to the challenge, but it's close. She lives in Northern California and the climate tends to have hot, humid summers and generally mild, sometimes rainy winters. She walks several blocks to the train that she takes to work and is not only in need of some new corporate wear for her new job, but she also needs some outerwear that can handle the elements. Because her new corporate look is going to include jackets and in the winter a warm coat, I decided that this will be her overcoat:
We are going to add a removable hood. Now to find some waterproof rainwear fabric. Mom says we missed the boat on the (Burberry) rainwear from Michael's even though it's still listed on their website. Worst case, we'll just waterproof some other fabric. Since we are entering the hot, humid part of the year we have some time before the cape needs to be completed.
Baby needs to be fed, I have a paper to finish up for school and then back to the sewing room for me! I go back to work in two weeks, so I'm hoping to get as much sewing done as possible between now and then.
After my two skirts and top are finished, I have a short list of garments that I would like to make next. They include a faux suede military-style jacket (I was inspired by Erica's faux nubuck jacket. I already have the suede and pattern and reading Erica's blog and review cinched the combo for me.
This weekend I helped my mom start a SWAP-style wardrobe plan. It's not complete and for her needs it's not going to be true to the challenge, but it's close. She lives in Northern California and the climate tends to have hot, humid summers and generally mild, sometimes rainy winters. She walks several blocks to the train that she takes to work and is not only in need of some new corporate wear for her new job, but she also needs some outerwear that can handle the elements. Because her new corporate look is going to include jackets and in the winter a warm coat, I decided that this will be her overcoat:
We are going to add a removable hood. Now to find some waterproof rainwear fabric. Mom says we missed the boat on the (Burberry) rainwear from Michael's even though it's still listed on their website. Worst case, we'll just waterproof some other fabric. Since we are entering the hot, humid part of the year we have some time before the cape needs to be completed.
Baby needs to be fed, I have a paper to finish up for school and then back to the sewing room for me! I go back to work in two weeks, so I'm hoping to get as much sewing done as possible between now and then.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
