Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Pairings

There is nothing quite so satisfying as a successful pairing, be it food and wine, yarn and weave structure, or two fabrics that were meant to be together. I've had some utter failures with all of the previous pairings, but also some great successes. Most recently, another little capelet.



 I had been saving this barely one yard piece of Italian wool herringbone for almost two years.



 I love it that much but was unable to find anything that remotely matched it's odd peachy/taupe or deep eggplant brown hue. So it sat. And then a roll of silk arrived one day at Fabric of Vision and (you can imagine a drum roll, and enough light bulbs going off to power a carnival), I just knew I had found the perfect pairing for my wool.





 Not only that, I had already done the perfect pattern and enjoyed wearing the style. Over the weekend I did some slow sewing. I pressed and steamed and got it all just right.



But wait, there are some other pairings going on up here at Runamuck! Monday night I stepped onto our deck and what should I spy but Mr. Fox and not just the Mr. but it would seem there is a Mrs too! Two lovely Grey Foxes, full and fluffy, that have found each other this winter mating season. They will stay together all through the spring and summer, raising their litter of kits and then the family will disperse in the fall. Kits and parents all going their separate ways until next January or February, when the cycle will repeat itself. I am hoping we will be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of those kits when they are old enough to accompany their parents. This year, summer can't come fast enough!

Back on the sewing front, I have started the duffle coat. Since it is a new pattern and while well checked in a tissue fit on Rhonda, I decided to do the lining first. There are a couple of reasons behind that decision. Number one is making sure there are no obvious fit issues
and number two is a practical measure on needle sizes. The lining is quite thin and I'm using a small sharp size 10 on it. For the outer wool shell, a size 16 jeans needle. There will be some thick seams and of course, a fair amount of simple top stitching. Pairing the needle to the fabric weight and content is always a consideration for good results. With lining complete I can change out the needle to the larger size and be good to go for the rest of the project.


Finally, Robin has provided me with some great pairings this week. The most surprising is some serious bonding with Dandy. Believe me, it was quite mutual.  I will let the pics speak for themselves. Consider them all Parting Shots of great Hello's!

 

 

11 comments:

LA said...

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? Your capelet will come in so handy and look so smart. LOVE the pictures of Robin and Dandy!

Anonymous said...

Sweet Robin has made himself a very good friend in Dandy. Don't you wonder what they were thinking? Your caplet is darling and will be perfect for keeping your shoulders warm on cool days.

Cindie said...

The caplet is great - perfect pairing! A friend of mine has a Mr & Mrs Fox who raise their kit under her front deck each year (opposite side of the house from the dog's fenced yard). I've sat out on that deck and can hear the commotion underneath. The kits would sneak out when the parents were away and play up on the deck. Pix of Robin and Dandy are great!

Judy said...

What a lovely wool herringbone fabric! No wonder you were waiting for just the perfect lining fabric. Great photos of Robin and Dandy.

Laura said...

Gorgeous fabric (I'm a sucker for wool...and silk)!

And how cute of Robin and Dandy - they must think they belong together because, after all, they are the same color!!

Michelle said...

Lance is very interested in Jackson, but I haven't let them get nose to nose because of Lance's mouthiness and Jackson's tendency to snap.

Valerie said...

Don't you love sewing with wool!? It is a fabulous pairing.

And Robin and Dandy....did you notice that they "match"? At least with the colors on my monitor.

mrsmole said...

Great capelet and it was worth the wait for the lining. Heck, I have some fabrics over 35 years old just still aging in a drawer waiting for the right moment! You are so smart about needles and matching them to the fabric...how many people change needles for the project? Not many and they only change a needle when one breaks...ouch! Fox families...how cool is that?

ladyoftheloom said...

What a great cape with beautiful fabric. Keep us posted about the fox family!

Theresa said...

LOTL, Why thank you! And you can be sure I'll be doing fox family updates.

mrsmole, Thank you! I'm fond of these short capes, easy to wear. I may have some fabrics starting on their long wait. Just a few pieces right now. I'm pretty good about using/changing needles and cleaning my machine out after each project. It makes a world of difference.

Valerie, Wool and linen, two favorites and this wool was sumptuous and well behaved. Robin and Dandy are the same colors, bright red and white. Maybe twins separated at birth? ;)

Michelle, Moon and stars had to align for this one. Most of the wee ones are a little afraid of the big guys and then there was Nick, who would stomp a dog in the blink of an eye. A trait he learned from his Mom at a young age. Dandy and Coop are both a little more tolerant, and use to the barn cats and any other small stray things. I would never let Robin off leash though, just too little and too stupid.

Laura, It is nice wool and I'm going to enjoy it for many years to come! As to the red and white duo, they certainly cottoned to one another. Dandy actually pushed Cooper out of the way to have that moment with Robin.

Judy, Thank you! Isn't that silk lovely. It's a stiffer weave and texture, lots of support for the fine wool and such a pretty weave, there is a windowpane pattern in the weave itself, quite pretty.

Oh Cindie, what lucky people to have all that great baby animal entertainment! Red or Grey foxes? I'm assuming grey, the red tends to be much more shy, although we have spied one or two p here over the years.

Martha, I DO wonder what they are thinking, but I always find it comforting that animals seem to be able to bridge some pretty big differences and make some pretty interesting friends.

LA, I do love it and even better, carried if off in the real world instead of just my mind! I must have 40 plus pics of the Robin/Dandy meet and greet. It was hard picking.

Maggie said...

Theresa, do you get Threads magazine? In the pattern review, there's a pattern I think you'll like: McCall's 6605. As soon as I saw it, I sat down and ordered it online. Take a look!
Love the cape, with the perfect lining! And the photos of Robin and Dandy. Weftie LOVES Bella, and Bella does not return the feeling, sadly.