Some me time in the Fabric Gallery

With everyone gone, I went on a quest for new towels – ours are decrepit and need full replacement, not just one or two but ALL of them need replacing. So, I took a little jaunt to Ikea. The ones I liked had no washclothes, and there were only white ones that would work with my spray dyed green shower curtain. So I left with things that were not the intended point of driving all that way (that happens whenever you get within 10 miles of the place – random things come swishing up to you and insist you purchase them, like a 30 foot roll of drawing paper).

Totally bummed, I decided to stop in Williamston at Fabric Gallery on my way home for a little midway break in the drive. This is what insisted be taken home:

A very lovely piece of Echino Chinese twill (it says duck, but I don’t think it is heavy enough to be duck). The ladybug repeats every foot or so. Forgive the grainy pics from my cell phone, as my camera is in another state right now… The green next to it in the first pic is a piece of binodal rayon with a crossweave of black against bright green.

This more than makes up for the towel situation. Now off to Kohl’s to see if any are on sale…

Swimshirt done- now for some skirts & shirts for me.

I got the waist adjustment figured out using the cut to bust point and then cut to the edge radially to the side seam and open it up.  Worked like a charm – did this on both front and back due to her shape.  Fit is great, with even a bit of room to grow in.  Her mom and dad are happy with it too.  I bartered it for a day of babysitting.

Now onto my Jalie patterns and the Barcelona skirt.  Yay! It’s amazing what I can accomplish when no one is here to interrupt.

Ahhh – peace and quiet

S and the Glitter Glue Princess flew away yesterday to Washington DC with Grandma.  Tonight they are having a private tour of the White House and had to cleared by the Secret Service. (One of S’s Pink Floyd friends is in Homeland Security and set them up.)  Sunday they are going to see the pandas at the zoo – the highlight of the trip.

And, I’m staying home… alone!  Someone has to stay home to take care of the kitties and all that.  No one to distract me while I sew.  I can actually go watch a movie with a higher than PG rating.

The swim shirt had been modded and cut out.  It’ll be sewn up this weekend and I can make me some lovely skirts and tops.

Putting in a plug for the Cheese Lady

I’ve been getting my cheese regularly from the Cheese Lady for the past few summers when we go to the local Farmer’s Market.  I just found out that she has a real store – oh happy day! *clasping my hands in joy!*  Last saturday, we went down and picked up a wonderful 4-year Sharp Canadian Cheddar, picked up a bit of Aussie Cheddar, and she told me of this new development.  Yay!  Now I don’t have to wait till the summer!  No more waiting for Lemon Stilton!  I’d gladly give up all meat in my life for some Stilton and Canadian Cheddar!

O.k.  Off the happy yelling box now…

Psst – she does mail order gifts too…!

So many plans, but a necessary project first.

So, I made these grandiose plans for sleeveless shirts and skirts.  Got the new Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt and a lovely piece from her charm collection with paisleys.  But…  that is all on hold for now…

Saturday night our neighbor, L. asked if I could make Miss Kate a rash shirt like the Glitter Glue Princess’s.  Her little shoulders are getting fried from the summer.  Of course, who am I to turn down someone who I know appreciates my sewing – if I don’t start now, the summer will be over before I get to it.  We have all the fabric ready to go, deep blue and sky blue lycra.   I took her measurements and looked at the charts.  She is pretty much the same width from bust to hip, which is a new adjustment I hadn’t had to do for many moons since I used to sew for people – I’ve been making things skinny for so long for glitter glue princess, I think I’ve forgotten how to do it…  If anyone has any tips, send them in the comments section.

I have to find a way to make this look great so my little neighbor feels good about herself in my outfit – girls at this age need to feel great about themselves, and I’d hate for a 10 year old to feel constrained by sizing.

Summer Reading, Watching, Listening, Sewing

What the Glitter Glue Princess is reading: Mary Poppins

What she’s been watching (when she’s not glued to old Jetsons cartoons on Boomerang): Magic School Bus

What I’ve been listening to in the car: Step on a Crack

What I’ve been sewing: I’ve given up on the cabo halter – the top was given a full thumbs down by the Princess for me to be seen in public wearing it – she still thinks it is too immodest for her mother to wear. I’m moving on…

I’m going to make a gored skirt from a Jalie Pattern next… Have a lovely piece of heavy burgundy knit that might fit the bill.

Also ordered me some new shirt patterns from Jalie as well -

• Criss Cross Top
• Twist Front Top
• V-Neck Top with High Collar

Perhaps these will look alright finished and not put my personally sewn garments in the hoocheemama category anymore and the glitter glue princess will stop giving me the once-over on the sewing table!

Rippin’ and Rantin’

So, I finally got the chance to make the Cabo Halter for myself.  I selected a lovely Michael Miller Paisley for it.

I’m happily chugging along, draping the pieces across me as I sew darts and the kid is sitting 15 feet away laughing her brains off – I ask what was wrong, and she inquires if the bits I’m laying across my shoulders are all that the top is made of.  Ummmm…..Noooooo…  I get it – she doesn’t want her mama going in public in a bra.  O.k.  Hahaha.

 I’m still chugging on this thing after a couple more of my early morning sessions and I get to the invisible zipper.  No problem, except *this* zipper decided to commit suicide as I was trying the top on the first time by splitting open – it wasn’t tight enough to split from force, so I still don’t know why it did that.  O.k.  I’ll rip it out.

The second zipper decided to stay alive this time.  But….  The upper bodice is not good – it gaps in the sides by the arms and *much* too low cut.  The kid’s solution for the low cut issue – tie it up soooo high that I look like a hunch back.  Um… No.  I’ve currently got the center front ripped open and trying to rotate the gaps from the side front by bringing down the overlapping part in the front.  There MAY be a chance I can save it yet and still be modest enough that the kid doesn’t attack me to tie my shirt up again!

I’m not thrilled, and had read about how some people had loved this top.  Who am I fooling? This top won’t work on me…   I can always tell when there is no hope – my brain automatically starts planning the next project as soon as issues like this come up.

I think I need a new skirt next.

The Great Dyed….Couch?

Well, it is *actually* a couch cover, but it still took a mountain of dye. This little gem was brought back by S from one of his Pink Floydian Road Trips. His host and hostess, R & M, requested that I dye their couch cover. It was a sickly shade of baby aspirin before I started. Knowing full well that they are into the psychedelic thing, and after inventorying my dyes to see what I had enough of to do this number, I opted for secondary colors – orange, emerald green, and grape. It took 6 liters of prepared dyes, and the biggest tub I’ve ever dyed in to do this. When I first started the rinse, it had much more of a tinge of camouflage to it than it does after finally being washed, which concerned me, as R & M do not remind of dull subtle people who would want a camo couch… Now it is *much* brighter and more to my liking.

 

See for yourself – many thanks to R & M for sharing the action shots of the couch with me!

I think this just proves that I will try dying anything at least once – what will be next? Bring it on!

Trash your Dress – a way to waste chiffon…

I’m torn on this NY Times article about trashing your wedding dress after the big day… I see the artistic value of the pictures and the dichotomy of beauty against nature, but being one of the people who put their heart and soul into someone else’s dress and then seeing the pictures disturbed me slightly (follow the links through – there is a youtube video).

I think the difference for me is I am seeing the hours of effort put into each dress. Seeing the dresses in water didn’t bug me – heck, water damage is something that can be handled – but the one on fire in the youtube video did.

I assume that none of these gowns are custom made anymore, and that they just fit the ones in the store. I haven’t made a wedding gown FOREVER, and probably won’t make another till it’s time for my daughter to get married.

But, the very thought that my work wouldn’t be appreciated to the point where it was something that needed to be revolted against, to demonstrate the angst against the whole wedding process… *Sigh* I just can’t get into it, and most likely wouldn’t make a gown for someone who planned this…  Why can’t they just go trash a cake instead? I guess the photographic value wouldn’t be there for some…

On baubles and sunsets

I had promised previously to put out a picture of the glass globe that I got for my birthday. Here is a picture of it hung in the window with the rest of my collection…

The newest addition is the purple/blue globe at the bottom.