So Slow as to make snails look like movers and shakers.

Diabolical Jane completed and mailed off to forthcoming great-grandson, Beau. I love all the fabrics for their colors, ideas, and book references. Dr. Seuss, Hungry Caterpillar, monkeys playing sports, explorers, states, space exploration and on the back, endless planets. Hope it strikes imagnations of what the future can be.

Took me quite a while to get the quilting and binding completed due to injuries and other delays. Also in the middle was the In House Patterns eight week Fitting Essentials course, but overall it was a fun project to do. This year I actually was able to complete the course, albeit I took a few extra weeks. I do want to go back and watch all the lessons again as there are so many nuances to each person's body that it is a lot to take in, to put it mildly 

I have many Kayla blouses to make, shorts for the new season, and I want to put the fitting essentials course to work making bespoke shirts for my "not standard size" husband. I hope to start my first wearable Kayla today. 

Plus a few more quilts are in the works, with the queen size one just needing its binding, and another being made from jelly rolls that supposedly will turn out to be a barguello rainbow quilt. We'll see. The instructions aren't really "in depth."

Hope your sewing is progressing and giving you great joy!

 

Diabolical Jane top is done!

 Although I continue to fight cold symptoms, (going into my fourth week!) I did get the diabolical Jane quilt top completed. I'm quite pleased with how it looks. As per the instructor's suggestion, I have trimmed with an extra inch around the edges that will be removed once the quilting and backing have been completed. 

I await the fabric for the back and the batting, and as soon as that arrives I hope to get it finished quickly and off for the forthcoming little guy.

Here's where it stands right now:

I quite like it and it has everything from Dr. Seuss to the Hungry Caterpillar, zoo animals, travel themes, space themes, soccer, baseball, and more. Just right for a little one IMO.

Not much else done in the sewing room this week, but as always, more later!

First week of 2023

Well, I've been pondering, and although the cold I got in December is still lingering and giving me strange side effects, I did get a little done, which makes me happy.

I worked on the Diabolical Jane baby quilt, and have the first two quadrants complete. 

Flannel Board Layout

First Two Quadrants Completed

I did pull out my Kayla muslin and know there are issues with the back neck area. I have had an issue in the past where the back neck "rises" up too high and what I have done is just cut down from the center back of the neck whatever amount is needed to lie correctly arcing to zero at the shoulder point, and just redraw that area from the center back to the shoulder point. Not sure that is the "right" way to do it, but it has worked for me in the past. However, I am wondering if that will make my back yoke off grain, and I should split half way down the yoke and overlap the indicated amount to lower the neck area without effecting anything else. Will contemplate and see which approach I think will work. 

That's my sewing for the week. This week I have things to do getting ready for tax season, so I hope to do a bit of sewing in and around the work life.

More later,

HAPPY 2023 TO ALL!

I’ve been pondering my wishes and dreams for the last month. No resolutions, just wishes and dreams that are hopefully doable.

One of my decisions is that no longer would I work for a Company that does not respect their employees but would once again start my own company. That means January to April I will be, as a friend says, “the boss of my own time.” In reality, that means I will be able to spend time doing what I love, and better serving my tax clients.

Decision #2 is that in reality, approaching the grand age of 76, and being mostly stay at home, I do not need a large number of garments. To that end I won’t sew many this coming year, but hope to get some really good fitting ones.

I anticipate taking the In House Patterns course “Fitting Essentials” again and hopefully get farther than I did last year before imploding. My intention is also to redo my bodice sloper, and a well-fitting pants sloper using the top down, center out pants fitting approach. I would like to get a basic jacket sloper also, but that is farther down the list. It is also possible I will need to make another grandmother of the bride dress, but that one is awaiting actual dates.

I have very much enjoyed the quilting classes I have taken at our local quilting store, Thread Bear, and with Great Grandbabies arriving and household items aging out, I anticipate doing more quilting in the coming year.

Decision #3. I just picked up This Is Your Brain On Food by Uma Naidoo, MD from the library. I read a review that indicated not only the subtitled things, “An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods that Fight Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, and More” that it may help stave off Alzheimer’s and/or Dementia in older adults. I do spend time on activities each day to “exercise” my brain, but I also have friends and acquaintances dealing with these difficult diseases and prefer not to put my loved ones through that. I have noticed some slow down, both physically and mentally over the past several years and want to alleviate as much as possible in whatever way I can. I anticipate making some changes, hopefully minor, to help with cognitive functions.

Add to that the universal wish to get healthier through exercise and we have all the intentions for the year.

I’m hoping all of us have our creative and personal wishes fulfilled in 2023. Hopefully this blog will be updated more often, and with beautiful items.

My first queen sized quilt!

 This one has been a long time coming. After my recent quilt class at Thread Bear in Las Cruces, New Mexico, I decided I really need to get all the WIP quilts out and complete them.

I took a Jelly Roll race class at A Quilted Heart in Vacaville, CA, January 5 of 2016. It looked like this at the end of the class:

Because I wanted a queen size quilt, I had purchased two more jelly rolls of the same fabrics, but I had no idea of how to use them to make it sufficiently large to go on my bed. After my recent class where we learned about putting things together, I went kind of hog wild. I wanted this one done, so just went for it, sewing strips together and cutting them apart, and then resewing them in random squares. 

As an aside and note to self, it would have been better to do some planning instead of my random  putting things together which made a kind of crazy quilt design. But, moving forward, lesson learned. For the last couple of weeks, my sewing time has been taken up with trying to get this to a large enough size for my bed. 

I finished up this morning, and it has gone to the magic man with the long arm quilter. I'm looking forward to having it completed, but he's quite backed up, so will be a while before I get it back. Then just bind the edges, and I've got a new quilt, after only seven years!

Here's the a portion of the finished quilt top:

Now I'll get back to garment sewing for a while, but we have a new great grandson on the way, so there will be quilting in betwixt and between. I think the quilting bug might have bitten me!

More soon, hopefully!

Can't believe it's mid September and fall is arriving soon.

 

Moving along slowly but surely...

Luckily for me, about mid July when I had a new great-grandchild about to be born, I found a beginning quilting class at my local quilting-yarn shop, Thread Bear. It was an eight week class, and it went from the very basics to a completed quilt suitable for a crib or wall hanging.

Since this child’s parents did not choose to know the sex before the birth, I went with a non-binary color scheme, and my central piece has adorable little hedgehogs. Ann helped me to select the additional fabrics imitating colors found in that fabric.

The child was born in early August, and the quilt got finished and shipped off about three weeks later. I enjoyed the class and camaraderie as well as having a very patient and helpful instructor, who took us from the basics to completion. If she was frustrated with any of us, she didn’t show it, which I am thankful for.

Here’s the quilt finished, washed, and ready for shipment.

 

I’m looking forward to our next quilting class, which will build on the skills we’ve learned, starting probably mid-October.

 In the meantime, I’m working on some tees and culottes for fall.

 More later,

 

Quick-ish wall hanging.

 My granddaughter, her husband, and great granddaughter got their permanent professorships, and purchased their first home.

Since my great granddaughter has a new bedroom, I made a quick-ish wall hanging for her. She's learning everything right now, loves books, and I figured you can't go wrong with Dr. Seuss. 

I got an alphabet wall panel, backed it with The Cat In The Hat fabric, and the border is hot air balloons from "Oh The Places You'll go!" It's certainly not perfect, but as her mom says, she's really little and loves it.

Sorry for the laundry in the background.

Now I'm working on another quilt from a class at the local quilt shop, Thread Bear, for our newest great granddaughter, born last week. The pattern is one designed by one of the owners, and I think it's going to be really cute. Since I didn't know whether it would be a girl or boy when I started, it's what they call "nonbinary."

More soon.

And so it goes…

 Well, the best laid plans. Hah!

 Based on a typical tax season, I was sure I’d be able to work through the In House Patterns Kayla fitting class this year. And then a perfect storm hit.

 The Company I had been working for decided to implement a new “Business Model,” with complete new software systems for everything from incoming telephone calls, appointment scheduling, to tax preparation, all Beta programs no less, being used on an insufficient band width to handle the load; and insufficient testing and tech support. We had software outages as much as it was up and running, sometimes with no notice, and no idea when or if it would be working again. In addition, we lost two of our most experienced preparers to health issues; another one died due to Covid; his (less experienced but still with a few years) spouse moved across the country due to his death; we got a semi-experienced preparer from another area of the country completely unfamiliar with our culture and unique set of circumstances, leaving us with two full time preparers instead of the usual four, and two part timers instead of the usual three. And to top it off, I’m a stress eater! So, my initial measurements came nowhere near close by the time I put my muslin together. Shoot!

 I still have all my work waiting to be readjusted and done and will be re-starting the process when my brain recovers enough to do in-depth calculations and fitting! Luckily, Alexandra leaves the information available forever for her students.

 After tax season ended, I was lucky enough to get to fly to California to meet my new Great Granddaughter, help celebrate her first birthday, be there for one of my other Granddaughter’s engagement and party, and relax with my oldest daughter’s family. It was lovely.

I have to admit, it took a good bit of time after I got home to get back into the sewing room. I set up several raised bed planters, have tomatoes coming in, and am learning rapidly that many plants will not survive in full sun in New Mexico. Most days it was 90 or above at our house in June, and it has continued in July with many days in the triple digits. Before next year I hope to get several shade trellis’s set up to shade the plants and me.

 I have returned to the sewing room for a few “quick and dirty” items which have become my summer six pack. I used my favorite colors of blue and red, and my now TNT patterns~ the In House Patterns Lila for three tops, two sleeveless where I bound the armholes with bias, and one with sleeves. I also took the Loes Hinse Oxford pants pattern, cut it into shorts, and made three pair of those with the hopes that by the end of the summer, I can shorten the waist elastic. We’ll see about that.

 

The heavy dark linen (a little hard to see on the right of the photo) for one pair of short is old stash and I used every bit and had to cut them cross grain to fit on my remnant.  The lovely flowered top is a viscose crepe from Sew Much Fabric purchased last August. The light blue is also old stash and is either linen or a linen rayon blend. It’s a much lighter weave and comfortable even when it’s scorching. The third outfit makes me smile because in my head I call it the “blue bird of happiness” outfit. It is a red background with blue flowers, blue and yellowish birds and yellowish green leaves. The fabric was purchased in March of 2010 from Denver Fabrics.com and looks like it was a bolt end because I got a 5 yard piece for $17.50. It’s a poplin shirting, 97% cotton and 3% lycra.

 I also found a lovely new shop in town that opened in May 2022 and was thankfully able to hold on during Covid. It’s called Thread Bear and is a quilting and yarn shop that offers lots of in store classes. I signed up for two. One was knitting socks. Unfortunately, I realized I don’t have the manual dexterity to use three, size 2 double ended needles, and so that was a bust. The other is a quilt class, which I am enjoying and is timely as another Great Grandbaby is due in a few weeks. The quilt won’t be done when it's born, but hopefully soon after. We’ll see.

 I’m also working on a Dr. Seuss themed alphabet wall hanging for the first Great Granddaughter. Their family has just purchased their first home, so it will adorn her new bedroom.

 Hope you're enjoying your summer and the scorching heat hasn't affected you adversely. More later!

 

Learning to actually fit patterns for anyone!

 You would think that for someone who has been sewing for over 55 years, a person would have the entire fitting process ingrained into their head. But that wouldn't necessarily be true.

As anyone who knows much about me is aware, my body changes on a regular basis with weight fluctuations, both small and large, and as I am learning all too well, body composition changes dramatically and regularly every year after the age of 60. Then to add to the mix, with the combination of age and surgeries to replace my knees, I've shrunk a few inches. And I always wanted to be taller, NOT shorter! All that has added to a real want and need to learn to fit multiple bodies.

To be absolutely honest, I have multiple fitting books from a vintage book by Vogue on fitting to many more recent ones with photos to help guide you to a solution for a specific issue, which may or may not cause additional issues.

To my absolute delight, I believe I have finally found an answer that will guide me to the answers, not just for my particular issue of the moment, but allow me to make garments that are custom fit to the wearer, whether it be me, or another person for whom I chose to make a garment. 

Once a year, Alexandra Morgan of In House Pattern Studio has an online class where with videos, worksheets, question and answer help, and a community of sewists who all have an intense ten week class that I was lucky enough to get enrolled into this year. 

Along with registration for the class, there is a pattern for a classic shirt, the Kayla, only available with the class registration, which is used to learn the fitting techniques and alterations. It comes in both a standard shirt pattern Via A, with a collar, collar stand, three quarter sleeve with cuff, and bust and waist darts. View B is an armhole princess seamed front with a yoke and back princess seams and a short sleeve, collar and collar stand.

I wasn't sure I could work the class into my schedule during my annual work period of January to April, aka tax season, but I am going to do my best to keep up with the class in my non-working hours. It has only been offered once each year, and I signed up for the waiting list last Spring, and made sure to register the first day registration was open so I didn't miss out! I am very interested in this class, vested in learning the fitting techniques for now and the future, and the vast extent of Alexandra's knowledge she is so willing to share, plus you do get lifetime access to the class once registered. 

If possible, I'll check in through the next few months and try to share my delight with the class.

Wishing you all a fabulous Spring!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Wishing you all Merry Christmas,

Happy Holidays, and a Fabulous 2022!

 

Getting things done--Catching up on the brown capsule--three new tops!

 I didn't realize I hadn't posted the next few garments for the capsule. I'm moving slowly, but moving. 😁

Right after the brown tee, I made another. This one was completed 11/08/2021. No changes except fabric. It's my TNT tee with 3/4 sleeves in a lovely cotton or rayon jersey. Not sure which. The fabric is OLD stash, in a lovely cream with a tan print that looks kind of like number signs with a tiny tan square in the center. Sewed beautifully and is super soft and comfortable to wear.

Cream and tan TNT Pamela's Perfect Tee

Once the tee was completed, I had wovens on the brain. So I moved on with a button front Jalie #3130. I really like Jalie patterns because they generally have everything from a small child's size to a large adult size in one envelope. I had made this one before in a navy cotton and loved it. 

The fabric is "Tumbleweed French Linen" purchased from Sawyer Brook way back on August 13, 2013. I had 2 yards, 56" wide and not much in the way of scraps.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize until after cutting and sewing the body together (collar and collar stand attached, yokes sewn, side seams sewn) that the pattern was originally made about 40 pounds ago. I futzed around, procrastinated, and that type of thing until I finally bit the bullet and took it apart, recut, and started putting it together again. Everything was going well until I noticed that the collar had frayed and threads had raveled out of one side of the collar and collar stand. Then I was so frustrated I set it aside again while I cut out the next garment and started with it. 

I'm one of those sewists that can't stand having an unfinished garment waiting, and when I realized I was avoiding the sewing room so I wouldn't have that shirt in my face, I bit the bullet and started taking the collar stand and collar apart again. Eventually it was finished except for buttons and buttonholes. Then I also had the next garment waiting. The buttonholes and buttons for both garments finally happened yesterday, so I can move on to my next project.

                                            Tumbleweed French Linen Jalie 3130

And the final garment waiting to be blogged. This one is something I modified from one pattern I love into a different look. The base is the Hot Patterns Plain and Simple Shirt. I had the original, which is OOP. I knew I didn't want the original large lapels and collar, and wanted to update it a bit. 

I took the center front piece, removed the collar and lapels, then rounded the "L" shaped neck edge, added a fold under button band, and drafted a Mandarin collar to fit the new neck edge. I like it, but the next one will have a neck edge that is lower at the center front, and bound neck edges instead of the collar.

Fabric is "Historic Leaves Stylized Cotton Batiste" purchased from Vogue Fabrics 8/29/21. I don't know why I didn't notice, but it's only 42" wide. Even with 2.5 yards, I had minimal scraps. If I get something this narrow again, I'll add another half yard. Luckily, with the busy print, unless you look very closely, you can't tell the print isn't matched.

Leaf Print Cotton Batiste Plain & Simple Princess Shirt Modified

Both of the shirts had buttons and buttonholes completed yesterday, so I feel good about moving forward with the next thing. I'm going to modify the Morris Blazer (already muslined) for a woven, change the front to a rounded front edge, lengthen it a couple of inches and change to a long sleeve. I've got a dark chocolate brown wool ready for the pattern. Wish me luck!

I Guess the first capsule is browns?

This was started last weekend, but darn. I lost the post somehow.  I was waiting for pictures on me. I've given up on that for now.

There has been a gap in sewing AGAIN because I was ill for almost two weeks. I'm hard headed so it took a LOT to get me to the doctor, and then serious antibiotics to get me back from the edge. Better now but working slowly. Onward and upward.

Completed: New Loes Hinse Oxford pants in a tobacco brown ponte knit.

Fabric: Italian Turkish Coffee Stretch Ponte Knit from Mood. Purchased August 30, 2021. Unusual for ponte, the fabric is only 48" wide. I purchased 2 1/2 yards. It's very drapey and stretchy, and reads to me as much taupe as brown. The blend is rayon, nylon and lycra, and a medium weight. At $17.99 a yard, it puts these trousers at just under $50 total. I'm comparing them to Eileen Fisher knit pants, which sell for $168, and don't fit me nearly as well, so I'm thrilled! I had minimal, tiny pieces of fabric left. 

As of 10/30/21

My Sewjo is finally back. A trip to the acupuncturist did me a lot of good, and my hands are much more cooperative! During the week I was able to steal a few minutes here and there to do some sewing. 

Hot off the machine, I've completed another piece of the capsule ~ a TNT tee with three quarter sleeves. Fabric is from Sew Much Fabric and is still available. It's a lovely Viscose Lycra blend knit in "charcoal/Sable/Tan and Cream. It's only $11 per yard at 56" wide, so in my book an excellent buy. It will go well with both brown pieces, as well several pair of my wool trousers that will be altered soon. 

And best of all, I have another piece of cream rayon jersey with an abstract print in brown already cut out. Need to change thread colors, and it's getting started today.

I've got several pieces of fabric for a brown jacket, as well as pieces of brown print, and beiges to brown solids for tops. After these have gone into the wardrobe today, I'll be looking at a few pieces for tops. Keep tuned to see what's up next! 

Hope your sewing is going well!

Bespoke baby pants.

 I used the scraps from my shirt and a small piece of baby rib to make a pair of bespoke pants for my great-granddaughter. 

Like her great Grammy, she has heavy thighs and the pants in her size were tight, while the next size up were too long. They went in the mail Saturday so I expect to see some pics by the end of the week to see if our communications and measurements got it right. 

She's a super curious and active baby, already doing backward crawling and a "downward dog" pose so I expect before too long, she'll be crawling and around the first of the year, she may start walking. We'll see. Here's a picture of the pants. I used ribbing instead of elastic because I thought that would be more comfortable on baby skin.

Pattern is from the Kwik Sew sewing for toddlers book.

Starting my next pair of oxford pants today. More soon!

NEW TNT TEE SHIRT

 I generally blog things to remember what I have made. There's nothing new about this other than the fabric. It's my TNT Pamela's Prefect Tee with 3/4 sleeves. Fabric was purchased 8/13/2021 from Fabric.com via Amazon. It's Laguna stretch cotton print by Robert Kaufman. It's 95% cotton, 5% spandex. The listing shows light weight but it's a perfect weight for fall/winter/spring in my opinion. I bought 2 yards and have plenty left over for a pair of baby pants and possibly a shirt too. 

Hangar shot for now. Hope to do several more in quick order. My serger bought in 1995 finally gave up the ghost, so good old Amazon came through again. I have a new Juki air threader that's awesome.😁

More later!

Loes Hinse Oxford Pants

 They are done! I finished these several days ago, and am just getting around to blogging about them. They are an easy sew, and imminently wearable. I really love them and they have a wonderful drape. I think there will be several more coming .

Due to my particular body at this point in time, I made them with a size Large back and an X Large front piece. The only adjustments I made were shortening them by 2" and doing a 3/4" knock knee adjustment for my heavy inner thighs. The pattern calls for 2:1 stretch elastic, which I did not have, so it's done with what I had here already.

Unfortunately, my serger gave up the ghost about half way through. To add to that, the sewing shop I use is about three weeks out until they can even look at it. After thinking about it for a few days, and discussing with the hubs, (it was purchased in 1995,) I decided a new one was in order with air threading. Between my eyes, and my hands, that should make my life SO MUCH easier! Of course, I googled the best air threading serger, and to my surprise, Juki MO-1000 was top rated.  I know Juki has been an industry workhorse for decades, so feel pretty good about this one. We don't have a Juki dealer in town, closest is about 225 miles away, but to my delight, they have it on Amazon.. It's been ordered, and is on the way. Should be here tomorrow, so I'm cutting out a few things in anticipation.

Fabric is a light weight tencel-linen blend purchased from Vogue Fabrics 4/30/2020. That's like yesterday for my typical fabric purchase to finished garment  time frame. LOL

Hangar shot

Next will be a few tee shirts from my TNT pattern, along with a few baby things I have swirling around in my head. 

Hope everyone is finding time to feed their creative self! 

In House Patterns Cool Cowl~ unfortunate pattern placement

 I've been wanting to make the In House Patterns Cool Cowl forever! Last August I thought I'd lost enough to fit into the size range, so purchased the pattern with high hopes to be able to make it for tax season to wear under a jacketall. Life...

I printed the PDF last week and taped it together, knowing I would have several alterations to make before coming up with the right fit. Alexandra drafts for people much taller than I am! Luckily for me, Alexandra has published an excellent tutorial on how to lessen the depth of the cowl!

Here's my third attempt, and I feel like it's a good wearable muslin. Didn't realize the dark stripe would point at my bloated belly, but it is what it is. The fabric is a lovely rayon jersey purchased from Sew Much Fabric 3/25/2020 on sale for $17.00. When I saw the price, I couldn't turn it down. AND I still have enough left for a tank top.

 I have made a few more adjustments to the pattern since inspecting this one, noticeably a 1" forward shoulder adjustment.  Overall, I'm extremely happy with this top. I happen to love the look of a cowl and this checks all the boxes. I expect there will be more over the next few months. Without further ado, 

    IN HOUSE PATTERNS COOL COWL WEARABLE MUSLIN

I do need to figure out why I have the folds from shoulder point to boob. Hopefully the forward shoulder adjustment will eliminate that issue.

I've got the Loes Hines Oxford pants traced and ready to muslin next. I've been pretty interested in them for a while. They remind me of "Katherine Hepburn trousers" from her early movies, and I believe the elastic waist will be good to have on the days my hands don't want to deal with button and buttonhole or hooks and eyes. Unfortunately, I'm not tall and willowy, but I'm hoping for the best.😁

Hopefully I'll have more to share soon!

 

The In House Patterns Lila Top ~~FINALLY!`

 It's been a L-O-N-G time since I was able to do anything creative! In the last year plus or minus, I've had three surgeries, and sewing fell by the wayside despite my best intentions! After lots of physical therapy, not yet complete, I am getting around and able to do things, albeit not at the speed or with the accuracy I had previously. It just takes time, I am being continuously told.

I've been planning, scheming, reading blogs and Instagram posts making all sorts of things in my mind and my dreams even though those didn't produce any garments! LOL

Finally, I'm able to sew again, but slowly and with a lot of “frog stitching." I'm quite enamored of Alexandra Morgan's In House Pattern Designs! I have purchased several patterns and done a few of her "work along" classes. IMO, she has excellent tutorials and I'm on a waitlist for one of her upcoming courses.

Because of all that, my first foray back into creating was a skirt block following her tutorial, which then got adapted to a flared skirt pattern. She did have instructions to turn the flared skirt into culottes which is my final goal, not yet started. As per usual, my ADHD kicked in, and I was off to new ventures. 

A granddaughter got married towards the end of June, so much planning and time was spent arranging the visit with family from the East Coast, West Coast, and everywhere in between. We had most of a week together, and it was wonderful, if exhausting, to see everyone. It's been a long time since we were together, and unfortunately my oldest granddaughter couldn't make it due to Covid precautions and an almost brand new Great Granddaughter. 

That said, over the last several years since retirement, I’ve lost about 50 pounds, with more to go. That’s the good news. The bad news is with the advent of my seventies, the weight loss, height loss due to new knees, (who knew you got shorter with knee replacements?) and an aging body, nothing fits me, and all my TNT patterns have been discarded. More good news is that it is making me better at fitting, and between tutorials, classes, multiple fitting books, etc., I can more easily see what needs to be done to make things fit my particular shape.

I have been looking for an updated shell pattern to wear for work under a jacket for years to no avail. I wore them all of the time in the nineteen eighties with my suits. All of a sudden the proverbial lightbulb went off, and I realized In House Pattern Designs Lila Pattern would work if I used the sleeve from View A with the body from View B. I had purchased it a while back, and got out my scissors, paste, tracing paper, and rulers, and put the PDF together. Alexandra has excellent instructions as well as more information about the pattern than most!

First thing I realized due to the pattern information, was this pattern was drafted for someone 5’8”, while I am 5’2 ½” now, and the size I used, 14W, is drafted for a C cup. Okay, I always need to make alterations anyway, but that is good to know. I had many alterations to complete, and did two muslin test garments, a wearable muslin, and the fourth one is (I think) just right.

Here’s a picture of the wearable muslin that still needed a bit of tweaking.

Lila Pattern wearable Muslin

Back to the drawing board, more adjustments, and another top in gingham. At this point, I believe this one is as close to what I want as I can get it, so with this gingham garment, I’ve re-traced the pattern off onto heavier drafting paper and it will be used for a rainbow of shells to wear for tax season! Hooray. My first forays back into sewing are working out well, thanks to Alexandra Morgan, and all the fitting gurus I’ve followed over the years. Well, and a lot more patience with myself and my limitations.

Gingham Lila Top wearable muslin

Also, one of the most exciting things for me is that Alexandra did a quick tutorial on how to figure out your shoulder slope and apply it to your patterns. With my narrow, sloping shoulders, I wish I would have had this information decades ago when I started to sew. It will make a huge difference out of the box so to speak.

If you’re looking for classic, well drafted, Indy patterns, fitting instructions, or pattern drafting for your body's quirks give In House Patterns a look. I’m so pleased I found them!

Onward and upward!

Merry Christmas!

 From our home to yours, we're wishing you a happy, healthy, safe, and wonderful Christmas, and an exciting, delightful. and prosperous New Year!~

Cheers for a bountiful sewing year with everything returning to normal.

More of the planning and my life

 It's been an interesting summer! I have only gone out to the doctor and the physical therapist. I know that many folks are having such a hard time this year with social distancing and lockdowns, Fortunately for me, I'm kind of a hermit anyway, and as a reader, sewist, crossword puzzle and computer games player, in general, it hasn't bothered me too much. Plus, between Amazon Prime and on line fabric stores, I've probably had a bit too much fun with shopping. 😲

I do miss my family, and we are fairly devastated that we'll miss a granddaughter's wedding in California, but we can't take chances with Covid, and my wonderful husband would have to miss three weeks of work. One for travel and the festivities, and two for self-quarantine. He is quite happy with his current job, and if we did that, he'd be out of work permanently. When you're in your seventies, it's not smart to give up a job you enjoy. They're too hard to find. As of today, they are showing 513,000 cases of Covid in the U.S., and we're going to hit 200,000 deaths. Since we're in the "prime" category for the disease, we don't want to take any chances!

The forced isolation has allowed me to complete not only all of my Continuing Education for income taxes, but has allowed me to "level up" three certifications with my company. Next year should be a really good year and allow me to do a lot of the more complex and interesting tax returns that come in.

I've also been planning my new wardrobe for tax season. As shown in the last post, I have two mini capsules, one in blues and one in gray. I have additional fabrics to go with both, that will be posted before too long. I'm trying to do a mixture of stash fabrics and new, as well as new and older patterns. It should come together nicely.

I also have a LOT of brown fabrics as it's always been one of my go-to colors for a neutral in everything from beige to bittersweet chocolate, including taupe, camel, and various iterations therein. So as I start working in that vein, I have of so many fabrics to choose from and try to mix and match. My first two follow. 

Brown Capsule #1

This grouping will be more fall-winter than the next one, but the blouse is definitely an all season fabric here. The wool for the jacket is new, and hasn't been shipped yet. As you can see, the shirt fabric is from stash, not super old, but well seasoned. The wool flannel for the trousers, (along with a lovely cotton voile not yet shown) are from Sew Much Fabric, purchased in August of last year. The Deer and Doe jacket pattern is a fairly recent purchase, as I love the neck edge sans lapels but with a bit of interest. I won't use the back, because it has a peplum, and will adapt to a standard shape. I'm not a fan of peplums on my body. The Sorbetto was the first PDF I ever downloaded, and have had it since September of 2016, when it was offered as a free pattern. 

Brown Capsule #2

This goes in a slightly different direction. The jacket is a blend- possibly rayon and wool purchased from Sandy Scrivano at a seminar at the Santa Rosa chapter of the American Sewing Guild in the late 1990s or very early 2000s. It's got a camel and a blue subtle check on a beige background. The blue is a cotton, that I don't remember buying, so probably old stash. The pants will be from a June purchase from Vogue Fabrics, called  "Neutral Crinkled Woven Linen-Nylon blend." For now, the jacket is a Butterick pattern first made in 2015. The blouse pattern may change when I see how a collared shirt lines up with the shawl collar of the jacket. The pants are my standard TNT. Pretty much a uniform for me.  

I have a piece of taupe wool for trousers on which I'm still debating coordinates, and many pieces of t-shirt fabrics and blouse fabrics for "pops of color" as well as a Ralph Lauren cream silk of which I bought 5 yards when on a fabulous sale.

I also have a black and eggshell 60% silk, 40% wool blend basketweave, purchased 01/07/2010, out of which l'll be making a Closet Core blazer with to go with some black wool or linen slacks. And given time, so very many more. 😁I'm excited about a whole new wardrobe!

I'll be looking at lots of other capsule components through the fall prior to getting started sewing. I'm planning on starting in earnest at Thanksgiving and running through the first week of January. Wish me luck!

How are your sewing plans coming? 

Wardrobe planning and a new knee!

 I have a new knee! Surgery was August 4. Since then, it’s been a lot of resting, pain relievers, ice and physical therapy. I’m on the road, but still using my walker. It’s a security blanket for both Dale and I! He’s so worried that I will fall and break something, and he’s pretty much a nag. It’s usually easier to go along with him. 😍

 During my convalescence, I’ve been working on a work capsule wardrobe. I’ll start sewing probably mid-November, and do production sewing to get things done by the first week in January.

 I’m trying to do quite a bit of stash busting, but have also been buying some specific fabrics too. First collection will be jacket, top, and slacks in navy. The jacket can also be worn with the grey capsule. Best picture of actual colors with plan:

Capsule with colors not true, including denim blue wool:

 

I’ve also got the gray capsule put together for the second batch. I have some gray tropical wool on order that will be here this week, but I took a photo with some linen that can make a spring addition. There is also a picture of the two pair of existing charcoal and gray wool slacks that I will see if I can have professionally altered. (As of now, I’ve lost 4” in my waist and hips, and doubt I can do it myself.)

 

Gray capsule fabrics

Slacks to be altered--charcoal and lighter gray

Today and tomorrow I’d like to put together another grouping with the denim blue wool as well as a brown capsule, and look in my stash for another gray for an additional jacket.

 If you’re in the US, have a wonderful Labor Day. Everyone, stay safe, stay healthy, and keep sewing.

 More to come.