Avoid!! Resist!!

I will resist..

..buying a huge lot of zippers off of eBay to practice making zipper pouches. Best thing to do would be to wait until I use the last of the most recent bulk purchase. But those are so nice (such a fantastic deal that was!)...

..the urge to begin a quilt. I don't know how to do this and my garment sewing isn't yet where I want it to be. There are a gazillion items I want to (read NEED to) make. But Oh, Fransson! is just beginning a Quilt Along and I've been admiring her creations for awhile now. Her quilts are darling!

..the urge to avoid swimming so I can get in more craft time. This excuse is a topper, isn't it? Quite proud actually. ..Maybe I'll begin this one tomorrow...

..purchasing any more items from the Fabric Co-op for at least 2 months (I blame Dawn who blames Kristine and so on and so on). Unless they get some of that awesome looking striped wool jersey I saw earlier...


..most definitely avoid imbibing (alcohol) in the evening and going online fabric shopping. I simply cannot resist Bunte Fabrics after a glass of wine. I think it's because I love the quality of everything they sell over there but deem it to be more than I "should" spend. hehe I am in love with this new (to me) jersey from my last *ahem* purchase. I see some cute nighties coming my way! But to return to topic, no more inebriated online shopping!!!

Halfway to the weekend! Whoo hoo!
Rachel S.

Museum Visiting..

Happy Monday! The weekend went by very quickly over here. Friday night I drug DB to the DeYoung Museum. They have Friday events and I wanted to rip through the YSL exhibit before visiting it later this month with a girlfriend. I was so struck by the quality of the fabrics and their care. Really, the fabrics are all so stunning. It really impressed upon me what a difference quality fibers make and how rewarding caring for them can be!! Isn’t that funny that that’s my big takeaway? I loved seeing the designs and was especially taken with the Mondrian dresses but the fabrics are what stuck with me. I highly recommend visiting if you can. The exhibit runs through April 4.

The real reason I wanted to go Friday night, though, was to get my tickets to the upcoming King Tut exhibit! Got tickets for my birthday in August. Double-wootness! I was able to visit Egypt in 2006 for a really short week but, of course, King Tut’s things were not there; they were visiting some other country. Needless to say, I am excited.


I ended up doing a little more crochet work than sewing work this weekend but am happy with my progress. My BWOF skirt is still in the same state. I’m thinking that it will be done by the next post because I’m tired of making excuses for it! (I was right about the blogging holding me a little more accountable.) Managed to finish marking my muslin for BWOF 11/08 pants 105 with galloons and also was able to cut and mark BWOF 10/08 top 114. Both require different thread then the black needed for the skirt so I’m telling myself I have to sit at the machine and attach my skirt lining before moving on. lol The baby blanket is really coming along. I hope to have that finished by the end of this week. Baby is due in two – hooray!!

One little wrinkle to the weekend was that my computer decided to start acting up. It's been showing signs of difficulty but I kept putting off the final backup. Now I'm praying that I'll be able to bring it up for a last memory dump before it goes past the point of no return. I don't even want to think about what I haven't yet backed up...Wish me luck!

Rachel S.

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.

Just a quick update - The week flew by. Wednesday we went to see Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings (fantastic show) and Thursday I recovered!
Still need to sew my skirt lining in (hopefully this weekend). I did begin a new (far less roomy) hat with the tweed wool. Wasn't feeling too well last night so I thought I'd begin this even though it is way too warm out right now. (San Francisco is really beautiful right now.) I'm hoping to stay home this weekend as there is a lot I'd like to accomplish. Biggest goals are to complete the skirt, finish the hat, write a pattern review for a spring top I made a while ago, and begin the plushie (or whatever I'm going to do for the upcoming baby shower).

Happy weekend!!
- Rachel S.

Double Wootness, 2009 Goals, & BWOF 02/09

2009 Goals: I've been thinking about my sewing goals since the beginning of the new year. There are too many things I still need to learn. I guess it will be helpful to post them, right? Girl has to keep some focus, right? Ok, here they are:

+ getting the fit right - This is a big one for me. I'm only 5'1 and I'm not a stick so one of the most appealing things to me about sewing is the opportunity to make things that fit. To date, I've sacrificed this so that I can just learn a few techniques. I think I'm ready to put some real effort into it now. I even purchased some Swedish Tracing Paper to help.

+ zippers - I've taken a class. I've done a few centered and invisible. They still fill me with a little anxiety though. I would like to do enough of these (lapped included) that I can look at one without hiking my shoulders and breathing shallow.

+ linings - I've always liked (loved) lined items. Dresses, skirts, pants, jackets - they're all better that way. I want every piece I put the time into making to be my best effort as far as long wearability and a nice drape.

+ seam finishes - Took a seam class a few months ago and, boy, did I come away feeling inspired! My instructor had pieces she made 10 years prior and, in spite of their getting use, they looked fantastic! She contributed this to the right seam finish (among others). I would really like to master the French seam, underlining, and hong kong finishes.

+ fit my Uniquely You - Almost forgot this one but it's a MUST. I got lucky and the measurements are almost perfect except that the hips needs to come in a bit.

+ make 12 drops (avg. of one per month) for the Toy Society - I'll post more on this later but if you haven't heard of this before, please take a click and a look.

Whew! Those seem a lot now that I've filled in the details. I don't think it's too ambitious but we'll see as the year progress..

And here's a few of my non-sewing related goals.
+ try to move forward a bit with my French - No, I can't speak French. Yes, I wish I could.

+ less sugar (fewer sodas and sugary treats) - I just really want to eliminate sodas and desserts for snacks.

+ water, water, water - Right now I'm lucky if I consume a glass of water a day. Obviously there is a lot of room for growth here.

+ exercise (gym, walk - whatever) 4 to 5 times a week - I'm pretty active but want to establish a hardcore habit with this one.

ENOUGH self-improvement!! On with the rest..

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Stash Additions:
I received some jersey I ordered from Gorgeous Fabrics! I was thinking about using the green swirly for BWOF 02/08 103B. I just love this dress and can't wait to try to sew it. Since I've only sewn a few items with knit I purchased some inexpensive jersey to make a muslin. The print does not appeal to me much but the fabric was less than $3 a yard because there are some marks throughout. I got it because I was looking for something with the same "busy-ness" that the jerseys from GF had. Probably won't get to this right away but I'm hoping to at least trace and cut it out this week. Which reminds me! I was able to find a seam guide for my Olfa. That is double wootness! I had read on Assorted Notions that they were not going to make them any longer so I hopped on eBay to see if I could find one. Can't wait to give it a try. The other jersey is black with light grey and pink swirlies. I'm really digging this one and am thinking about the new knit dress with puffy sleeves in BWOF 02/09 (see below).

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BWOF 02/09: Will I ever stop wanting to make half of this darn magazine?! How did I get by all of these years without it? K, on to February's offering. I really like the pieces below.

This top (118B) also comes in a dress (119). Thinking I'll be using some of my GF jersey for the dress (it's too snazzy to just become a top)..


Usually not so into tunics (126) but I do like this one with the elastic around the waist:

Like this jacket (127) quite a bit:

And, finally, I really want to make this dress (121) in a couple of months.

Other mentionables are dress 101 and blouse 123. Oh why must work interfere with the good stuff?!

That's all for now.
Rachel S.

Wool in the Summer??! Hope so!

My first post of the new year! And it's in January even! Whoa!

So it's been longer than I thought. I have still been active on my projects but nothing is complete yet. Here's a photo of the Mobius Shrug so far.

I'm really happy with how it's turned out so far. It just needs a couple more inches of length and a border. I ran out of yarn but luckily was able to get another three skeins at BaananeWoolWorks- whoo hoo! The color is just so brilliant! The picture does not do it justice but I would describe it as a really warm red with blue undertones. I think it will go with a few of the black halters I have for evenings out in the summer. I know that that sounds just ridiculous - wool in the summer. I'm still waiting to pair them up so that I can see if the two very different (aka opposite-type) fibers will work together. Here's the thing. It is usually so "cool" here in San Francisco in the summer that dresses and skirts get passed over for jeans and a light jacket. Everyone over here likes to recite a quote attributed to Mark Twain, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." (Unfortunately, it turns out the famous "quipper" didn't really say it but it fits all the same.) I'll post a follow-up picture once I get it finished.

Also up is my first BWOF skirt. Well, I guess it's my first skirt. period. The outer layer sewed up in no time. I've just been stalling on working on the lining. A trip to Tahoe prevented my finishing this last weekend so we can hope for this weekend. I think I'll really like it except for the fact that the fit wasn't adjusted for petite (except for the hem). I wanted to get one under my belt before messing with fit details. Hopefully, there will be a picture on this early next week!

On the stitching front...I've had to postpone the Dutch Farm. One of my best gal pals is having her first baby in March and I think it's time to get started on the gifts for her baby. She's from Ireland and I'm told that they generally wait to give the gifts until the baby is born. That's good for me on the sewing front as I'd like to try my hand at this romper from the June 08 issue of BWOF.

In the meantime, though, some American friends have announced a baby shower for her next month (like 3 weeks away - panic!). Gotta come up with something quick and easy for that one so I'm thinking some sort of baby plushie. I really love the idea of an embroidered plushie like this whale from Pimp Stitch. Not sure how it would weather a teething baby but we'll see. As DB said, "They've been doing it for years." : ) I'm also quite taken with the crayon tinting too. My goal is to have the idea and the supplies sorted by the end of the weekend.

Crochet: made this bucket of a hat on the Tahoe trip. Something told me that it was working out to be gargantuan but you really never know until it's a little too late. I'm not too adverse to ripping so I'll be trying to get to that over the next couple of days as well. It's a shame but that's the way it goes. *shrug*


One last "have to show".. have you seen this Mixed Tape iPod Cozy? It's from Crafting with Cat Hair (a GENIUS name, I think) and it is just too cute! I have a stash of felt that is calling to me. Just have to find some time now..

That's it until next time. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some crafting goals up for the year. Happy Thursday!

Rachel S.