Friday Already?!

As the Car Talk guys say, you've wasted another perfectly good week. Not waste really but depending on how you measure these things it might have been more productive. I did not find an answer to world peace, global warming or a cure for the common cold.

I did make a top and pants, do a little weaving, play with dogs. cats, horses and goats, enjoy my Dad's weaving and finished organizing my uber small sewing area.

Let's work down that fun list of what went on.

A test top was sewn and boy, talk about the difference in fit. I am glad this was 100% testing, it fit, but not anything well enough to bother finishing. This was a Burda pattern and the adjustments are so many and short sleeve top patterns so plentiful, we'll just go on and try another pattern. The fabric old and ugly left over from a garage sale find. A third pair of my much loved Sewing Workshop pants was made and I am super happy.

The fit is perfect, no surprises and it is such an easy and comfortable pair of pants you can't lose with this one. The little pocket detail is linen ribbon and matches the warp fibers of this fabric perfectly. Since it is a stretch denim it serves to stabilize the pocket

too. I could have done interfacing but this was much more fun.

I really need to find a good fly front trouser pattern for a more tailored look, and the search is on.

My Dad made another beautiful rug on his beast of a Harrisville/Collingwood loom.

He does a great job at the Damascus edge too and I know this takes a long tedious time, but the results, priceless.

I can hardly wait to get my hands on it for a close up. The offer has been thrown out there to give the loom a try when I head out for my visit.

Sewing room organization really ended up being pattern organizing.

I don't have many, although I did have some older ones and I parted with them for different reasons, mostly style and size. (The horrible vest pattern is sitting BY the trash, so if someone wants to give it a go, speak up or forever hold your peace.) I decided that putting my pattern envelopes in binders, along with directions

and putting the pattern pieces in plastic zip locks and filing them by number would work best for me. I can peruse my patterns organized by type (top, pants, coat etc.) easily and then pull it numerically if I want to use it.

It beats constantly flipping through envelopes, some of different sizes etc looking for just one thing. Plus it's fun to go through the binders and more portable. I can pull the yardage right off the pattern back . If I find a pattern online and I'm not sure I have it, I only need to check the patterns themselves filed by number. Should I get that tight on room, the box of patterns can go into another closet since it's the pattern envelopes that we all start with when choosing the next project.

Parting Shot: In My Own Little Corner, On my Own Little Chair

Onward Ho!

The weekend seemed to slip on by at warp speed. You start to work on something, concentration takes hold and all of sudden, five hours (or more) has ticked away. The same thing happens with a good book and that too added to the speedy demise of my weekend with all of its grand plans!

First up, credit is due for the beautiful images in the previous inspiration post.

A: The Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques by Lynda Maynard.

This books has so much wow factor I don't know where to start. Actually I do. She has me all excited about binding! Very approachable, very doable and all in layman's terms. I would list this book easily in my top 100 ever. I like it that much.

B: Selvedge is a magazine new to me from the UK. It has fiber arts in many many forms. I couldn't pick a favorite from the issue, they were all fantastic. Painted sacred cows, dogs in lovely sweater gear, a beautiful layout of a blanket designer/ weaver, quilts and on it goes. To boot this was an early birthday gift from a very generous lady. I never would have known about it.

So Saturday was spent not so much being inspired as ignited. I finished my second Yoked Blouse run through and am so very pleased with the results.

It was worth going back for another try. This is easily a top "go to pattern" for a tailored blouse. Changes for edition 2: Smaller rounded collar, band cuffs instead of turn back cuffs.

This version has better sleeve set and the yoke technique for having it nicely finished inside and out worked liked a charm.

Kathleen Cheetham did indeed e-mail back and provided some much needed clarification. That's impressive.

Sharon commented on the color I was using. It wouldn't have been my first choice either but I had scads of this beautiful shirting in my stash and it was a dream to work with.

Sunday I kind of got lost in France reading Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia

Fraser. An excellent read. Of course I was simultaneously watching the Pro Bowl football game and wondering why I bother with it. They are always just awful. The gem in that was hearing Bill Belichick speak three or four sentences. Football fans you likely know what I mean.

I managed to count out what I had measured on the silk warp so far, put a counting string on there and promptly forgot what the count was. Should have written it down, or maybe I did and forgot where....

Parting Shot: Say Cheese!

A Feast of Inspiration in Multiple Courses

No text necessary.

For Every Failure A Success

And blogging about good stuff is much more fun than not so good stuff. I am rarely put off by a sewing,weaving or other creative endeavor failure. Are they even failures really? But that's another more philosophical post all together.

Please forgive the somber face, it was 6:30 in the morning and my mind was already on the changes I wanted to make...

I did a first run through of the Petite Plus Pattern Yoked Blouse and I am so impressed with the fit right out of the box so to speak. Body, shoulders and length are all spot on.

When the pattern says it is written for someone 5'2" with ample proportions they aren't fooling. The pattern itself is fairly easy to understand but it does use some techniques that are different from many patterns. The first challenge is the yoke construction itself.

To get it finished inside and out, you roll the shirt into it, much like some recent pillowcase tutorials. I struggled with this and getting it pucker free. The second and most frustrating portion was surprisingly the sleeve inset. It's a two part sleeve. A pretty shape but line up into the armhole of the garment, not so straight forward. The pattern has you make tailors clip ( little cuts) into the fabric where a diamond would be on most patterns. I like this, but all the clips and seams coupled with my one pet peeve made for a tough time, resetting three times and finally calling it good enough for a first run through. The pet peeve, not using the same nomenclature on the pattern as the directions. In one part the pattern asks you to line a particular sleeve clip with the shoulder seam. What shoulder seam, the front or back shoulder seam of the yoke? So, you see my confusion and since this is a nice company with a really nice lady at the helm, I'll just e-mail for clarification. Easy peasy!

Now, I will make alterations to suit. No cuff. I might do a little band with a pretty button, but no cuff. The collar needs to be sized down for me and the points softened. In fact I have a lovely rounded collar from another of her patterns that will be a better look for me, or no collar at all. I have just enough fabric still of this nice shirting to make a second one and it's already cut out. I know I need about 3 times through a pattern to get it right and feel comfortable with all the techniques and changes. One as nice and flattering as this will easily become a go to pattern.

Now, here is the 5th towel at the start.

It's actually about done and I'm already thinking about number 6. I had a busy day yesterday and never got to the loom or the silk warp.

Stella got to go to town and make the rounds though, in fact I saved some errands just so I could get her out. Her breeder works at the local Grange and I wanted Colby to see how sweet and pretty she has become. She certainly knew him. She also got to play with an adorable Westie pup mix and a cute little long haired Chihuahua named Max. I think Max fell in love with her. I thought Max pretty darn sweet and offered to take him home for an extended play date. His owner wasn't buying it. :)

Parting Shot: Trudging Across the Tundra

And I Know Better

Sometimes, well I get sucked in by a unique artsy pattern with lots of possibilities and I forget the basic rules about what looks flattering on me and what doesn't. One of the most unflattering things for someone who is short, ample and wide shouldered is something that accentuates the shoulders. I mean really, I might pass for a stunted line backer in certain clothes. Essentials for flattering garments are shoulders that fit and fit well. Shirts with a non set-in self sleeve (one that is cut with the bodice of the garment) rarely look good, and when they do, it's because the fabric is very light weight. A good set in sleeve is a must when tailoring for a less than ideal body shape. So, what the heck was I thinking with this vest pattern and it's volume of shoulder ???

Beats me and I spent a fair amount of time fitting the body. Nothing and I mean nothing is going to change the basic design of this garment. Not only is it unflattering due to the added width, but also, it puckers going under the arm. I used chalk on the pattern to follow the pucker lines.

It is going in the box of shame. Simple as that. It wasn't a complete loss. I spent a lot of time with some different seaming treatments.

This pattern was written to use with felted wool, which can have a raw seam. In all fairness the softer line of the wool MIGHT have been a bit more flattering. I also made a wonderful little quilt to go on the back.

After all was said and done, I didn't like it on the vest because the piece (sized according to the pattern directions) was too big and certainly too wide to be appealing. I took it off and will save as I rather like it alone anyway.

Gene had a good time poking fun at it, saying that it would look great at a Star Trek convention. I told him I would be happy to complete it and give it to him to wear. ;)

Klingon costume anyone?

Other more successful endeavors include towel 5 which is using a deep green linen single and some spinning. In fact I am going to head up and do some more of it.

Parting shot: The Criminal Line-Up, They are Guilty of Something, I just don't know what...

Organization = Creativity

For me at least. A few of you have commented on how much I get done. Have you all forgotten the nine month warp to do two pillowcases??!! ;) I will say that being organized with my fiber spaces allows me to be much more creative. To me good organization is a creative process in and of itself and I spend a fair amount of time thinking about ways to become (and instituting), efficiency. Imagine my delight and excitement when I happened to stumble on someones sewing blog (link would be here if I could find it again) and saw that they took their stacks of fabric and made mini bolts with them. I can do that!!!

I've always hated piling my fabric up. It's messy. It's uneven, it offends me at times and I find myself mimicking my Great Grandmother, compulsively folding it again and again. It also gave me an excuse to reorganize some things up there. It's such a small space, every foot counts.

Gene gets lots of boxes of stuff for his business and we recycle as much as we can. A lot is saved to reuse, a fair amount is broken down to start the outside boiler Rube and now, it can be used as the middle "bolt" part to keep my fabric organized. I tape up the end, put the yardage on the tape and I am good to go. I even have a free shelf and I would have two if I cleaned out all the shoes I don't wear.

The lovely tomato red plaid is slated for a spring coat. I waited 4 months for the fabric to go on sale at Fabric of Vision. It's Italian and mostly cotton and I am totally smitten with it. Here's a photo with the lining I have for it and the pattern itself.

I will be making a muslin of it first. On the sewing table in process is a vest out of the last of the Carhartt fabric.

I have to make up a little artistic back panel of some kind. That is in the works.

Towel 4 is also in the works. The weft for this is a deep ruby red 5/2 mercerized cotton.

The silk warp on the warping board.

It doesn't look like much right now. Oh so pretty but very subtle.

I'll get pics when it's wound onto the loom for sure.

I also couldn't stop myself from picking up just a bit more Nature's Palette. This time the Organic Worsted Columbia wool in 5 skeins each of Autumn Leaf (gold) and Natural (cream).

Wow, stuffed in a lot of pictures on this one.

Parting shot: A Very Vocal YIP-EEE!

Farewell To Yarns

It's just plain sad when a yarn you loved is discontinued, even sadder when a whole line is. Especially one as beautiful and lovely to use as Nature's Palette yarns. Their organic worsted Columbia wool was some of my favorite. I have a sweater on the needles using it and one completed. I have loved knitting with it. I've used both their Merino fingering and Lace weight silk/wool in weaving with great results. There isn't a color they produced through natural plant dyes that I didn't like. I was stunned to find them on the sale bin when I went to use my Christmas GC from DH. I snatched up what I knew I could use and left the rest for other lovers of this yarn. I salute this great yarn, mourn it's passing and will use up my stash of it with love and care.

Of course, there are new yarns too, some quite nice, some that made it to my house. ;)

Welcome Nirvana, a new entry from Filatura Di Crosa.

This is part of their Golden Line, which had the wonderful light cashmere yarn I used last year for scarves for my Mom and Dad. This yarn is super fine Merino and talk about soft and lofty. It's as light as goose down, comes in a ton of colors and is $7.50 for 392 yards. I'm so tempted to do yardage in this and make myself a robe or kimono. Heck it's soft enough for undergarments or PJ's.

I would also be terribly remiss if I didn't show you this wonderful late holiday gift from some truly special people. Bundled up and beautiful, just waiting for me to get it on the loom.

The balls are silk and maybe a bit of wool and have an amazing shine.I was able to match up some Nature's Palette with it You can't hep but dream up something good with these materials to work with. Oh and those two itty bitty balls, samples. More later on those.

This last yarn is by Twisted Sisters, Petite Voodoo Limited Edition 50/50 silk and wool in Green Teas(e).

I am thinking about trying an almost Ikat scarf with it. Still in contemplation stage.

Parting shot: Pick up the ball. Pick up the ball.