I'm still here!

Hello Windsornot Threadheads (all zero of you),

I'm still here. Took a break due to vacation. But, that doesn't mean that I haven't been thinking or doing things before, during or after my vacation!

Since I'm sure she's not reading this blog, I think it's safe to say that I can post my mother's birthday gift now. She still hasn't received it, but what the hell.


Is this a periwinkle blue apron? Or.....


..or is it a lime green apron?


Ah hah! It's reversible! Gotcha!

I hadn't realized I hadn't posted this. It's been done for weeks, so it's just a matter of gifting it. Most of the work was really in the cutting and pressing. All I did was take my Williams-Sonoma chef apron, trace it and give about an extra inch allowance for seaming, and then ironed all the pieces to death, that it was just a matter or aligning all the pieces together, etc. I think for a first semi-freestyle effort, it came out pretty well. I think my mom will like. She asked for it, after all, in that fabric, but I think she'll be pleased in the end. Much of her kitchen and living room has an "Alice in Wonderland" feel to it, so it'll go along with it. I think her kitchen is also a dark periwinkle, so it'll go.

I think at some point, I'll probably make another one, but kid sized for Drew. I'll also probably try to make it so that it looks like the checkerboard racing flag or something like that. I like appealing to his car racing interests when I can (it's better than some other sports!).

I'm also thinking ahead to some other projects. I bought the beautiful fabric from my birthday, and I want to make something with it, but I'm not sure if it'll be a really nice blouse or a dress.

But in the meantime, since I'm almost done the other dress that I started, I have that on hold because I'm waiting to receive the other birthday present I bought myself...



I bought a "Uniquely You" dressform for myself. I originally saw it on eBay, but bought it through the Atlanta Thread Company instead, as the pricing was the same, but the guarantee was better at ATC. I bought this one because it was more flexible due to it being almost all foam. I figured it was going to be like my Select Comfort pillow that I have, that conforms to the pressure you put on it, so it's more malliable, if that makes sense. You slip on this cover and adjust the measurements that way, and can buy different covers if you change sizes. I liked it too because you could pin on it better, and it's not this hard, stiff thing. I haven't gotten it yet, as I only ordered it after the Labor Day weekend, so I'm hoping to get it next week. I think once I have that in place, it'll be easier for me to tailor some of my clothes, whether I'm making them from scratch or fixing store bought ones. I'm excited to receive it!

I'm also looking ahead to Halloween. Last year I chickened out and just wore my TKD uniform. But this year, I want to make something that's not too complicated to wear to the Scout Halloween Party. I don't wear anything on Halloween itself, because it's just easier to let the kids have their fun. I'm not sure what I'll do yet, if anything, but I'll come up with something.

So, I'm back! I don't know how soon I'll be getting back into my projects. It's back to school season, so we're trying to get back into a routine and rhythm of things, so we'll see when I get a chance to do that. Between knitting and sewing, I really want to get back into the swing of things!

What color is your parachute....fabric?

Today is my birthday. And as such I had a coupon for discount at the yarn store as well as the quilting fabric store. So how did I spend my afternoon? Yup, using my coupons! Since this is my sewing blog, I might as well tell you that I think I might just have a color addition. The color, interestingly enough, is orange. Now, I like just about any color in the right shade and if you find the right pattern. Going into this particular quilting store is, well, overwhelming. You see every color and nuance in the rainbow. There are SOOOOO many beautiful fabrics. It puts any JoAnn's Fabrics store to shame, for sure. I know what colors and prints I tend to gravitate towards too...aquas and oranges and reds. Now, officially my favorite color is blue. I tend to lean towards indigos and deep purples/violets, and like I said before, aquas/turquoises. So how is it that both times that I've entered this store, I've walked out with orange patterned fabric? Well, the last time, it was a print that looked tropical for summer (the dress I'm working on). This time, I didn't have something to make, but then realized that I could make something to wear for the fall, not that I had a specific pattern or anything in mind. I had originally picked up an aqua blue colored pattern, but thought that might not be a good color for the fall. So, I found the same patterned fabric in orange. Sue me! Perhaps it my need to have a happy, bright color on that I know I look good in.

I decided that I'm going to make either a blouse or another dress from it. One tip that Sandy told me (as she and her daughter came along for the trip) was that if I mentioned that I'm making the product for a piece of clothing rather than for quilting, they won't charge me sales tax, as in NJ clothing is not taxed. Sweet! That works for me. So, I bought 4 yards of fabric, which is probably more than enough, but I'd rather have more than less. I also bought a pattern, which was for a kids' teepee and sleeping bag set. They had the teepee in the store, and it was just so cute! I'm thinking that I am going to make a sleeping bag for my son, and perhaps make the teepee for my nephew for Christmas (yeah, his mother will love me for that!).

After loading up on matching silk blend yarn in orange for some sort of bolero or shawl or shrug or something like that, as well as some new needles and a magazine at the yarn store, I was done. I spent a ton of money, even if it was my own money and with a discount!

Now, there are two things I need to do. First, I have to find an easy blouse or dress pattern to use for this beautiful fabric. Second, I have to understand my passion for orange!

Oh, and just to show that I have a very cool sewing friend, Sandy gave me a very pretty shopping tote that she made me. And it's....aqua with rainbow batik-like stripes running through it. It's really pretty, and I think it's really cool because she made it just for me. And now that I sew, I know what it takes to make it. Hers is SOOOO much better than anything I've ever made thusfar, but then again, she has way more experience as well as better equipment than I do. I really like it, and it made me happy that she thought of me.

In the meantime, I have been trying to squeeze in a project. Since I'm still having problems with my dress, I'm putting that aside temporarily, and working on an apron that my mother requested for her birthday. I made a pattern by tracing the basic shape of my Williams-Sonoma chef apron, and I'm using the same fabric that I had used on the tote bag I had made a while back. Everything is cut, pinned where needed, and ironed big time, so the only thing left is actually doing the sewing. It's going to be reversible (what's up with that, too, that I make reversible stuff?), and I think she'll love it. Hopefully I can work on the sewing this weekend so I can have it for when she comes to babysit on Monday. I will take photos, I promise, because I'm not letting something like that out of my hands when it's almost my own pattern, simply because I figured out the logistics on my own.

Ta-ta for now!

JC ain't no Christian Siriano, for sure

I've been continuing to work on my dress. I just completed a slightly wasted evening, and I'll tell you why.

Seams. It was all about seams. I'm having a difficult time with getting the side seams of this dress I'm making. I was told that with the way I originally cut it from the pattern (which was too small), that I made the dress too big like a short mumu. So, I take the seams in a little bit. Still too big. So I take the seams in some more. Better around the bust and torso, but hit the hips and belly, and it's too tight. So, I rip the seams up to where it's fitting (and it's quite fitted), and to make a long story short, I've ripped out and re-sewn the seams a total of 3 times (that's a 2 seams, one on each side, 3 times, so that's actually 6 seams altogether). And being that I'm a tall girl, you can only imagine how many stitches I had to pick ALL THOSE TIMES to try to get the seam out. The problem was something that all women dread-- the panty line. Although mine is more where the waistband is, rather than the bottom. I just can't get it right. I can't trust JC to pin me correctly, and I can't exactly pin myself, so, I just marked a spot a little higher than where I was starting the re-seams, and I will pick at it again tomorrow or another day when my eyes aren't going buggy from it all.

A big part of my frustration is JC. You might say, "Why are you blaming him?" Well, while I can look at myself to an extent in the mirror, I kept asking him, "How does it look?" and he'd be the one to say, "Let this out, tighten that up, I can see your panty waistband...". UGH! This really why I need a dressform badly. That way, I can get it right the first time instead of relying on someone else.

I WILL get this dress done! It should have been finished tonight!

Progress, but still not done, and no photos!

I actually spent some time working on the dress this morning. I finally cornered JC so as to help me pin the bust darts. Well, let me say, he should keep his day job, since he didn't exactly pin it right. But I was able to recover from it. (Fortunately, he didn't stick me!) The hardest part, once I had my darts in place, was actually sewing them and making the garment look presentable. Part of the problem was that a)the darts should've gone in much earlier in the process, and b)by that same token, it was difficult to sew a straight line on an angle.

I did put the armbands in, and yay! I got them to work this time. So that felt pretty good. I sewed up the remaining seams and had everything done except the hem. Well, first I goofed up near the bottom. I was going to make little slits at the bottom on each side. I did well in seaming one of them, until I realized that I had sewn it upside down, at least thread-wise. The accent thread was on the inside of the garment instead of the outside. DOH! It didn't look bad when I showed it to JC. But then when I put on the dress for JC, it was like a tent. Well, better too much fabric than not enough, right? So, after all my efforts, for it to look decently on me, I have to take it in by at least 1-1 1/2 inches on both sides. This, then messes up the little trim at the bottom, as well as screws up the armholes that took me most of the morning to get in there. Oh, and I have to sew down the bust darts better now that I have a better idea where everything lies.

I think it's the "taking everything in" part that bothers me a little. Part of this is all part of the learning process, but geez, you'd think that with the majority of the population being overweight that the author would've made something in sizes that were at least in the XL category (even if parts of me are actual XXL, I'm sad to say). I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to go about taking in the dress quite yet, in light of the armholes. I'll have to think about it.

In the meantime, this project definitely is screaming out to me that I need a dressform. While JC's intentions are good, I think I'd do better if I could do it myself, but at the same time, I can pin things on myself and be that accurate. Perhaps I'll have to save up for one, and it'll be my birthday present to myself in a few weeks. In the grand scheme of things, they aren't that expensive (much like there are many inexpensive sewing machines too), but picking the right one is the trick. I think I know which one I want, but again, I'll have to see as time goes on...

The other thing that I'm interested in, if money were no object, is getting one of those sewing machines that's also for embroidery. I was looking at the HSN site the other day, and they were showing the one they were featuring, a Singer Futura. Oh man, they had me convinced, and I had all sorts of ideas running through my head on what I'd make with such a machine. But, that's when I have more disposable income, such as from hitting the lottery. (I have a kitchen to redo at this point, and the first part might involve getting a new dishwasher soon. :-S) Ah, one can dream, right? Oh, and a serger too, but I won't get ahead of myself. I don't even have a decent sewing table, after all! And the LCD light on my machine is flaky now.

Well, I have a number of other projects I need to do soon, which will use my Lotte Jansdotter book. My mother wanted an apron for her birthday, and that's coming up soon! So I have to get on the ball with that one. I am also thinking of making his and hers aprons as a little housewarming gift for my brother when he moves next month and hopefully we'll have a chance to visit.

Another project, which may even wait until much later, is making JC a new pair of swim trunks. One pair ripped this week, mostly because they're old, so I was thinking of recycling the lining and making a new pair using those. We'll see.

So, I think I need to get a move-on with these projects!

Sewing fiend!

I know I haven't been on here for a little while, but I have been very busy is my regular life, but did make time-- especially over the 4th of July weekend-- to get some crafty stuff done. It was mostly sewing, which is good, and it was my best attempts at doing some clothing alterations, as well as attempting to make my first functional garment, which is still a work in progress.

Well, I'm sure you'd like some photos too, so even though it's not exciting, here you go!

Drew had at least 4 pairs of jeans that he had ripped huge holes in the left knee. Consistently the left knee too. (Oddly enough, if I have a hole in the knee of my jeans, that's where I get it too. Hmmmm....) They weren't really patchable, and since he's a growing kid where these will be too big for him soon enough, it made more sense to recycle them and make them shorts rather than me going out and buying him some new shorts anyway. I took photos of one pair that I did, but like I said, I did FOUR pairs, which is 8 little pant legs, my friends!


As you can see, the left knee is severely ripped. No turning back now!


And here's after! Shorts!

While I didn't do anything fancy to make them shorts, it still took some thinking. First, I had to make sure that I made relatively even cuts on both so the legs would be even. And even then, once I created the hem, I had to make sure they were the same length. Some weren't completely perfect, but for the most part it was pretty damn close, even if I did use a measuring tape as I made them. One of the tricky parts was that at least 2 of the pairs of jeans were painter's pants style, so they had pockets that were very low down. I actually had to hem into the pocket itself, but it wasn't too bad. I don't think people will really notice that too much. As long as the hem is neat and the thread isn't too noticable (I used gray), I figured it would look fine, and it does. When Drew wore a pair that I had done and I told my sister who does some sewing that I had done that, she seemed fairly impressed.

The other item, as I said, is a work in progress. It's a variation of sorts of the tunic pattern that was in the S.E.W. Workshop book (my "sewing bible"). Essentially, I remade the pattern using this really nice and pricier fabric, made my adaptations/adjustments to the pattern so it'd fit me, and made it longer so it could be a dress instead of just a shirt. I worked on it for most of the 4th of July weekend, but I didn't finish it yet. I have to work in the darts at the chest, but I need JC's help or a dressform for that. Since I don't have the dressform yet, I have to get him at the right moment. He's reliable, as he's helped his mother with sewing projects, and in some respects is a better sewer than I am. Once I have that done, then I can finish out the armholes (made the bands longer this time, so there should be no complications), and hem up the sides and bottom, and I'll be done! The neckline isn't perfect, but I think I still did a pretty good job of it for a beginner. I even used a contrasting thread to finish it, and it looks cool. Perhaps I can finish that this weekend, which would be great. It may end up looking like a mini muumuu on me in the end, but you don't learn until you try, right? Photos will come once it's done.

Oh, and what's this that the Threadbanger report had tried to slip by, that there might be a Threadbanger Sewing Machine made by Janome in the future! Oh what teases they are! If they did, that would be cool. I guess I'll have to stay tuned to see if they provide more details.

Keep sewing!