Internet Off, Sewing On

Monday night my home internet service was down, leaving me without a way to watch my favorite tv shows, streamed via the internet.  Without my usual distractions, I took to sewing.  I am working on drafting a pattern for a scrub top for my friend Maxx Fisher who works in the medical field.  I was able to get a basic pattern drawn and the fabric cut out for a muslin.  Even though the internet was back on the next night, I was motivated to sew and finished the muslin.

I am a bit ashamed of how much time I waste browsing the internet and watching tv every night.  I am attempting to reclaim my time and get more sewing done on week nights.  It feels good to be productive!  I tried flat felled seams for the first time, and was quite pleased with the result.  As soon as I can meet up with Maxx to fit her top, I’ll be finishing three tops for her and posting the results here.  I have yet to learn how to add welt pockets to the front of the top though–perhaps that will be my week night project this week.

In the meantime, I’d like to share my finished butterfly painting:

If you know of any good tutorials for welt pockets, please let me know in the comments! :)

Kitty-Proof Sewing Room

After several destroyed spools of thread, I had to take down my thread rack–Mr. Catsby couldn’t withstand the temptation.  For my birthday I asked Mr. GF to get me a wall cabinet with glass doors where I could store my thread safely.

The cabinet has arrived.

And it’s lovely.  I’m curious though, how do you all store your spare needles for your sewing machine??  I currently have them still in their original packaging since they are so neatly labeled by size.  But they are a bit bulky and unsightly.  I’m on the lookout for some cute containers.  Any suggestions?

Also for my birthday, I received a bareback pad for riding, from my mother.  After a week of rain, we enjoyed 70 degree weather this weekend, perfect for a ride!

 

Twas a good weekend, enjoying my lovely birthday gifts :)  How’d you spend your weekend?

A Butterfly Memory

Mr. Garment Farmer will be driving to San Diego soon, to visit his grandmother.  I received a jury summons for the week before he leaves, so I can’t be making any plans to go out of town.  Since I can’t visit her, Mr. GF suggested I paint something for him to take to her.  It wasn’t a terrible idea, but painting can be a lot of work (when you tend towards perfectionism), and he said it like it would be as simple as taking a photograph.  I’ve felt tired and short on time as of late, so I didn’t really want to add anything to my to-do list.  But I haven’t painted in months and it seemed like just the therapy I need.  So I opted for a small 8×8 canvas, and I promised myself to enjoy the process and not nit-pick every stroke.

Bernice loves butterflies–the image of butterflies are all over her apartment, in pictures and many figurines.  Her appreciation of butterflies reminds me of my grandmother who loved hot air balloons.  Both fancy brightly colored flying objects.  And my grandmother decorated with hot air balloons in the same fashion that Bernice does with butterflies–all over the home.

Of course I decided the best thing to paint for Bernice would be a butterfly because I know she will love it.

Bernice’s memory isn’t so good anymore.  My MR says she doesn’t seem to remember their previous conversations when he calls to chat with her.  The sad part is that she is lonely and thinks that nobody ever calls, but the truth is she just doesn’t remember the phone calls.  I wonder how can you show someone that you love them in a way that they will remember, when their memory is failing?  When you live many hours away and can’t visit all that often, how can you continually remind a loved one that they are loved??

I hope a painting to look at every day might serve as some sort of reminder to Bernice that she is loved and we are thinking of her often.

I finally put some paint on the canvas tonight, and even though it isn’t finished, I just wanted to share a picture (mostly to prove that I haven’t been completely idle and to keep up with at least one blog post a week).

Project Planning

Until now I have not given too much thought to my wardrobe and project planning.  I’ve jumped from one project to the next, making up whichever pattern and fabric were the most interesting in the moment.  This method has resulted in a number of wearable garments, including two dresses I love but have only worn once or twice each.

When I consider what I wear the most, the items I go back to day after day, I must admit I can’t give up my blue jeans and a top.  Try as I might to add skirts and dresses to the lineup, my jeans and shirts get the most wear.  So with that in mind, I have added a couple of blouses to my project list.

Negroni shirt for Mr. Garment Farmer  

The first item to be done however, will be a shirt for Mr. Garment Farmer.  He is 6’5″ and nearly impossible to find RTW clothes for.  My ultimate goal is to make him the best shirts he’s ever had.  This will be my first men’s shirt, so I’m not expecting perfection, and I’m also using a very inexpensive fabric.  Colette’s Negroni pattern was an easy pick for this project since the directions to her patterns are always awesome.

Slouchy Blouse  

Rumor has it the slouchy blouse pattern from Burda Style is quick and easy.  With no sleeves to set in or collar to attach, I’m hoping to add a blouse to my wardrobe in no time.

Reversible Gathered Skirt  

Although another skirt is not high on my priority list, a navy blue skirt was something I wanted last summer.  Unfortunately I could not find any navy blue fabric the weekend that I set out to make the skirt, so I ended up with something else entirely.  Well my last trip to my favorite local fabric store, Crossroad Fabrics in Watsonville, turned up the perfect blue fabric.  It is a bit sheer, so I was looking for a lining fabric and settled upon the aqua color pictured below.  I like both colors so well that I decided the skirt ought to be reversible.  I’m not quite sure how to work this out with the zipper situation, but I have at least a month or two to figure it out.

A Shirt Dress of Separates  

I’ve been wanting a shirt dress for some time, and this fabric just feels right for it.  I think I’d prefer a gathered rectangle skirt though.  In my quest for more blouses, I think I shall make this fabric into a collared shirt first, and then make a coordinating gathered skirt.  Worn together with a wide belt, I think the outfit will have the shirt dress look but the wardrobe flexibility of separates.

The above shirt dress pattern is also from Burda Style and may serve as the pattern for the shirt.

V-neck dress  

I immediately fell in love with this pattern when Burda Style recently released it.  Although I presently have no need for such a dress, there will surely be an event in my future that calls for it.  As such, it is at the bottom of my sewing priority list.  I purchased the red feather fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics, but I’m wondering if the print is a poor choice to go with the pleated neckline of the dress.  I’m currently undecided… The colors are simple and the print isn’t too busy, but I fear it may detract from the pattern details.  A solid fabric may be the safe choice for this pattern.

 

Coat

I also have a blazer type coat on my to-do list, however, I’m anxiously awaiting Gertie’s next Craftsy class.  Why do I think it’s a coat class?!  Well Gertie has made some fine coats, and I would be most interested in her teaching a coat class.  So here’s to wishful thinking and planning out projects with the intention of dropping everything should Gertie indeed offer a coat class.  Gertie, if you’re out there, please, a coat class.

Leg of Mutton Sleeve

My intention was to post about my future sewing plans tonight, cataloging my fabric and pattern choices.

However, after a long day of work and a delightfully tiring walk with my dog, I think I shall rest and catch up on Naruto instead.

I would like to share a page from my Sunburst Pattern System in the meantime:

The leg of mutton sleeve caught my attention, and I had to share.  Is that term still in use?  I hadn’t heard it before and found it curious.  My fashion/style vocabulary isn’t very broad, so I found the charts in the book interesting.  But the book was published in 1972, so I question its accuracy with regards to current styles.  Maybe it’s time to expand my reference book collection to include some current sewing books :)

Here’s my walking partner, Lucy:

She’s a lucky dog, she doesn’t suffer from exercise anxiety like I do.  She’s always ready to go and needs no encouragement.

But she also lacks any sense of properness and enjoys rolling around in the grass…

Just Getting Started

Welcome to my blog.

I have never been one to journal or keep a diary, and I am a terrible pen pal.  The only extensive writing I have done was essays for school, and I began to detest writing essays so much that I finally quit school.

So it is with some apprehension that I begin this blog, wondering if I really even want to write it.

When it comes to writing e-mails or the occasional comment on Facebook, I am truly a prolific writer.

It is my hope that I will love writing my blog and find it to be a tool for communication and interaction.

I also love photos.  Lovely blogs always have lovely photos.  Until I can purchase a Nikon d90 (or win one from Pioneer Woman) I will be bringing you fantastic snapshots from my iphone4.  I will make up for the lack of photo quality with interesting filters.

Stay tuned readers, for amazing photos of really cute animals, my latest sewing project and words about nothing will soon follow.

spent some time with my favorite large four-legged critter this afternoon