April 29, 2011

Finished!

 Inspiration photo.  I found this skirt at chadwicks earlier this year.  It really finally pushed me to finish my pencil skirt pattern.  I posted the photo and talked about personal style here

I still haven't done anything about contacting Sal and doing a self-guided makeover.  Not sure whether I will or not - honestly, I probably will not.  But I do think it's a fabulous idea.
 I do wish I had a nice long hall that was uncluttered.  Someplace to put the tripod up and take photos in the morning - when I feel fresh and thin and cute, rather than at the end of the day when I feel tired. 

So - the skirt is made from some mystery suiting fabric that came from Joanns years ago.  I bought when I thought I might actually make pants and took a class with Peggy Sagers - but I'm never going to make pants.  So - skirt it is.  When I found the inspiration skirt above, I decided to add trim to one of the princess seams.  I thought I was adding it to the right side, but somehow it ended up on the left and it's all good. 

I spent almost 2 days of the retreat last month working on this skirt.  And honestly - I'm a bit frustrated with it.  Those sewing gals fitted this sucker to a tee.  At retreat it felt very sexy and fitted and ....
Now - it just felt a wee bit too big and sloppy.  I mean I don't want it to fit like a second skin, but - hmmm, how do I explain this.  And is this why I've fallen off working out with the silly Wii?  Probably.  How frustrating to fit something and then not have it fit a month later without having your weight change an ounce.

Anyway - the cardigan and shoes are too light - I need to find some taupe shoes and honestly I would love to find a cardigan that is the burnt orange in the top.  The bow doesn't stay tied - and how do you tie them?  Little loops and long tails, or big floppy loops? 

I was however comfortable wearing it all day - and yes the trim does curve up the front a wee bit - but that's because I do too.  







April 28, 2011

Dogs!

Just a good photo of Lucy.  She has the most beautiful eyes.
She has to be in every outfit photo I try to have taken.
Apparently - it's all about her.

April 27, 2011

Another Prize

Last month - IrishGirlieKnits started a group over on Ravelry (enough links in that sentence?).  Anyway - I posted a photo of my heavily modified socks I was working on from her pattern.  She picked 2 winners and I won!  I got a lovely hank of Socks that Rocks in some green colorway which is lovely.  A paw shaped needle gauge and a beautiful single dog themed stitch marker.  This yarn might make it to the top of the sock pile - although maybe not - I'm quite behind on my brown bag club socks.

April 21, 2011

Thankful Thursday

I need a little attitude adjustment these days.
so - must be time for a Thankful Thursday - as most weeks I'm always thankful for my spouse who loves me and healthy kids, but this crazy week has also brought others things to the forefront:
*healthy dogs
*my creativity and it's ability to sooth my soul
*learning to dress myself (finally)
*my job - as hectic, crazy and stressful as it is, I'm a valued employee and they work with me and the craziness my life sometimes contains
*taking dogs to work.

Photo from All Saints Clothing in downtown Seattle - I love all the sewing machines in the window.

April 18, 2011

Quilting?

Remember when I shared the quilt top I had made for the Princess?  I started this project when she was in middle school - gathering the fabrics, planning a layout, etc.

About the time we had all the fabrics together and were happy - she had about grown out of sunflowers.  Well then I needed something to sew and didn't want to make clothes (the horror!) so I put this together anyway.  When she was a senior in high school .  You can see the finished top here.

Last Summer I was talking to a friend of mine who has a long arm - because honestly I was going to farm it out for quilting and pay someone.  This woman is a fantastic quilter - loves playing with her machine and learning new things.  The layout on this quilt gave her the perfect place to play - and honestly, I did not care what was done to the quilt - I just wanted it done.

When she offered to quilt it - I jumped at the chance.   Like I said she does beautiful work.  She asked some very important questions - like how will she use it - apparently if you are going to wrap up in the quilt, then you want less quilting so the quilt is not stiff and hard.


This quilt is fabulous and flexible and cushy and warm.  Now The Princess is waiting on me to find a box big enough so I can mail it to her.  She might have a minute to wait since I just mailed these on Friday!

edited to add lightened photos.

April 14, 2011

April 13, 2011

Completely Frivolous

Every now and again, I find a fabric that is so completely fun that I just can't pass it up.  This is one of those fabrics.  It's absolutely perfect for a Seattle Spring Day.  Honestly!  It's covered in rainboots.

The tee is made from a Hunter Safety Orange cotton knit.  It really doesn't have wrinkles across the shoulders - it's simply stuck on Lu's undershirt.  The orange tee perfectly matches the orange rainboots in the skirt fabric.

I always wonder what people honestly think when they see me in outfits like this.  Is it as bad as the woman at the grocery store in her flannel jam pants and slippers?  Honestly?  I do wonder if I shouldn't be upping the anty and dressing like I'm quickly approaching 50 - and then I see this adorable fabric and I can't help myself it - it was bought and sewn on Saturday.

April 12, 2011

Sneak Preview

It's getting closer.
Need to add tie, buttons, buttonholes.
and yes - there will be a rose on my boob.  

April 11, 2011

Bonehead Move

Sunday, I was downstairs sewing and went upstairs to see what the rest of the family was doing. 

For some reason I left the iron face down on the ironing board.  I never do that!  I was putzing around upstairs for about 20 minutes or so.

It's a good thing I headed back down when I did, isn't it?

Ugh!  Lesson learned - always, always put the iron back on the base.

Thanks Go To Carolyn

And Helen and Elizabeth.  Helen and Elizabeth helped with the fitting at the sewing retreat last month. 

This dress kicked my arse.  I'm embarassed to say that I might have thrown a temper tantrum when I had the muslin pin fit and I wasn't sure how to transfter it to my paper pattern.  I was so frustrated (and over tired) that I might have teared up.  But I won!

As I said - this is more fitted than anything I generally wear.  Actually - that's not totally true.  I do wear skirts and fitted tops, but for a dress - this seemed really fitted and I felt like I couldn't breath.

Friday I threw it in the washer and dryer and realized the fabric had never been prewashed before.  Honestly - I wasn't positive it was going to still fit after washing and drying.  I did wear the dress all day.  with the cardigan and the really high brown wedge sandals.
Wow!  Do I have some ugly boy legs going on - full of scratches, scrapes and scars.  Self-tanner here I come!

Last week when I showed you the almost finished dress on Lu, Carolyn emailed me and suggested I add some fold-over braid around the collar to just make it pop.  Well - we have JoAnn's, Hancocks, and Pacific Fabrics in my neck of the woods.  I stopped at Pacific Fabrics on my way home Thursday thinking it would be my best bet.  I could not find any fold-over braid, so I bought this tiny blue ribbon that is almost an exact match to my buttons.  I added to the collar and the front of the dress that folds back on itself.

The ASG gals were very complimentary of the dress - although it appears that the fabric did in fact shrink when I washed it.  Luckily it appears to have only shrunk in length.  The only comment I got from the ASG gals was that the bust dart was too high and that I want to make a muslin of the just the bodice before making it again.

However - I know the women who fit this pattern and there is no way they would have left a bust dart that needed adjusting.  I wore the dress all day - and except for the fact that it's cotton and wrinkles like nobody's business, I wasn't nearly as uncomfortable or self-conscious as I thought I would be.

Verdict?  I like it and will make it again.

April 7, 2011

Hey Look - Dog on Thursday!

Opps!  That's Dog on Couch!
Happy Thursday Everyone.

April 5, 2011

Shirt Dress

Sneak peak of my shirt dress. It still needs to be washed to get the markings out and pressed again.

I just bought a fabulous little white cardigan which looks great with this dress. 

It does not flare out at the center front on me, but those drag lines from the bust to the hip do exist.  I'm not going to worry about it - because the dress fits. 

I was under the impression that Lou was now smaller than me.  I have learned fitting this dress and putting it on her  - that this isn't completely true.  My hips are bigger but her bust is bigger than mine.  Not fair.

I lucked out and found perfect buttons for this dress.  However - they could be a bit closer to the center front of the dress.  Again - not going to worry about it. 

April 4, 2011

There has been sewing

But there is no proof.


I recently made  my first pattern from Ottobre magazine.
The first pattern was a cardigan from the 5/2007 issue - but I can't find any pictures on line.
The cardigan is part of a twin set, but I need another length of velvet ribbon before it's wearable.
 I had made the twin set to go with the skirt completely unwearable skirt that was the first take from the Simplicity Pencil Skirt pattern.
So now I need a new skirt to wear it.

However - I'm thrilled beyond words with how these patterns fit me.
Soon there will be finished sewing - I promise.
Sunday night I cut out the top on the cover of the February 2011 issue.
I already made a smokin' hot skirt to wear with it.
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