Zipper-ific makes me giggle..

Rutroh! I'm a little behind again. I've been keeping busy. Just not with the things I thought I was going to be doing. Ok, so it's been just about 2.5 weeks since the last post. That makes me feel a little better as it felt like a month! Still don't have the skirt finished. It's oh-so-close and now I'm just procrastinating. It makes no sense since I'm only a couple of hours away but that's me sometimes. Here are a few of the random things I've been up to.

Planted some parsley and basil (my first time since kindergarten - oh geez, long time!) and I'm pleased to see sprouts! Here's a picture of the parsley.

Made another scarf for a friend whose birthday I missed last month. It's really sunny and warm today. LOL - now I'll have to wait to give it to her until the weekend when it rains and becomes chilly again. This one (top) is to go with the one I made for her a couple of years ago (bottom) but never quite finished. (Yep, I'm really that bad. Always try to use me in a procrastination comparison. You'll feel better.)

Attempted another zipper pouch (for the zipperific experience). I'm ok with it. I'm trying different tutorials. This time I tried the one from Twelve 22.org and I'm pretty happy with it. I definitely need practice though!

Side note: DB has had some extra time from work and has done a couple of interesting things so I thought I'd post a pic or two. Ta-DA!! We are just a quick trim (darker blue) away from our newly painted kitchen! It looks so fantastic already!! I could not be happier with the color.

It turns out that it looks great with my bright red tulips so I was inspired to purchase these knobs for the white cabinets and drawers from GoGoGail over at Etsy. (She has some pretty nifty holdbacks for drapes too that I might have to purchase when we get to the bedroom but that's for later).

One of the other projects is a...well, a Lego house. I'm not sure how that sounds. Probably ok if you have kids. We are kid-less but we love Legos nonetheless. lol AND they're a little more fun when you're big. Have you seen some of the hard-to-find ones? Well, DB received one from his mom for Christmas as a sort of nostalgic gift. It was really sweet. The best part was the genuine excitement and the big smile that DB had once he realized that it was a lego kit. He drew it out as long as he could but after a day or two it was together. Here's a few (stop-action) shots. Isn't it cute? It is modeled after a city market building with 3 floors. The market is on the bottom and living quarters are on floors 2 and 3. There's a grill on the roof and gardening tools out back. Oh, and a fire escape! Not sure how we're going to display more if the collection continues but we'll cross that bridge if it comes up. :)


That's all for today. On the list for the rest of the week is to finish the skirt, mark some pants, and cut a blouse. Let me ask (even though only one or two folks check in here - lol)...what do you think of this baby blanket? Too busy or should I just finish it and gift it? It's made with two strands - blue and white with color flecks). I think it's too busy and not pretty but DB thinks I should just complete it (he hates to see me rip).

Ok, have a great week all!
Rachel S.

First Hoodie

Hi there. I had the flu last weekend and I'm playing catchup.

Sewing Update: Skirt is still waiting for the lining. Traced & fit BWOF top 114 from October '08. I have some pretty turquoise knit that I'm anxious to use for this. It might have to wait, though, as I signed up for a fitting class next Tuesday at The Sewing Workshop! I'm excited about this one. You are supposed to bring in a muslin and then it will be adjusted and marked in class. The goal is to go home with a muslin ready to recut and sew. I'm hoping to learn my key adjustments for pants and, since I like side zips best, I'm thinking of these simple pants (132) also from the October '08 BWOF (what a great issue!). Maybe they're too plain to use on this class. What do you think? On the yarn front, I made another attempt at a hat and it bombed again. This time it was only a mini-bucket but that was enough for me so I'm putting all crochet aside for a few weeks. Baby Gift Front: Also had to postpone making baby items for this particular baby shower event. I'll have to purchase something ready-made for now but I still have 6 weeks until the baby is born. :)

And now for a pattern review. This is from Burdastyle and was free when I downloaded. Now it's available for a small fee. Well worth it still, I think. Fabric: Rayon-Lycra Knit [See other projects in this fabric]
Pattern Description:
Hoodie Variation on the Lydia shirt
Pattern Sizing:
sizes 32-44 available - I cut a 40
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, but I think it goes unnoticed how voluminous the hood is in the picture! : )
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Very
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Pros: This is just a great pattern. The directions were easy (except for the hood part - more on that later) and there was nothing really "tricky" to it. I lucked out in that the fit turned out without alterations needed as well. Very easy and quick (i.e., satisfying) for a beginner.
Cons: The hoodie part of the Lydia doesn't really have directions that are helpful to a beginner. I tried to look at ones in the closet but they were obviously meant to be better made. In the end, I just ended up attaching it with a small zig-zag. Since the hood is so big (to be read: gigantic) it ended up that you mostly just see the backside of my fabric when it is not up. Also, it's so large that it actually has a bit of weight. I didn't like either of those things but just can't seem to rip it out successfully. I must have made the zigzag too tight. (?)
Fabric Used:
Rayon-poly knit, I think. $1.99 / yd.
Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
None but I would recommend making the hood smaller and possibly even lining it before attaching. I think that would make for a nice look but then maybe the weight of the hood would be a problem. Too inexperienced to make that call. : )
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I would both sew it again and recommend it (although probably without the hood). It has easy steps and the knit is forgiving.
Conclusion:
Great easy and quick project. The shirt is great. Consider if you really want to add the hood.

That's it for today. Have a fantastic weekend!
Rachel S.