Two and a half years ago, I started a pair of jeans for the denim pop up over on Pattern Review, but I got interrupted by the early arrival of a certain pup.
Bandit at 7 weeks, an utter distraction!
Those jeans were neatly folded and parked on top of my fabric dresser, until last month, when I decided they must be finished. I was surprised to see that the fly was nearly completed! During the past two weeks, I have been working on a seam here and there, and I finished them over the holiday.
Next on the list was marrying off Girl #2, who tied the knot in Italy yesterday. The livestream worked, so we were able to witness the ceremony, which was conducted in Portuguese and English (the groom is from Brazil.) More celebrations will take place later this summer when his VISA to the US is finally sent.
Not great photos, because they were screen shots, but they’ll do for now.
After the ceremony we had a private video call with them before the reception, which was wonderful.
The final item on the finishing list is the Alaska quilt. I am entertaining the thought of quilting it before the end of August. I think it might be possible, now that I have the cornerstones figured out. They are about 85% of the blocks inside the quilt. I reduced the template pattern on the copy machine, and then did a test. I forgot that the seam allowances was a smidge smaller, so the first try was too small, but it was also a poor fabric combo, so It didn’t hurt my feeling to start again.
The new corner stones are much better. I did two yesterday, and will now attach three of the border pieces to the top then cut the final two. A weird order, but I’m trying to clear the table of fabric so I can organize the fabric dresser by summer’s end and use the space for Christmas in July projects.
The list continues, but I am going to enjoy the fact that I am getting some large, long term projects completed!
I am going to focus on Christmas preparations this month, getting a head start on gift making. Anyone care to join me?
If you want to join in, just post your plans for Christmas projects, this week, and follow up with a report on July 8, 15, 22 and 31st! You don’t have to declare your participation, just include “Christmas in July” somewhere in the title of your post!
Girl #2 flew to Rome yesterday to make final preparations for her wedding July 5. I think she is most relieved that she and soon to be DH will finally be permanently on the same continent. She is not a party girl, but super organized, so I have no doubt things will go smoothly, and if they don’t, her guy will soothe her ruffled feathers! He can read her like a book, so will be able to keep her in the moment.
Girl #2 opted to buy her dress, and the shop altered it, so my only job there was to clean up the mistakes. They some how managed to skew the grain when tightening the bodice 😡, but after looking at it, we decided that a careful press should keep things aligned for the photos. To absolutely fix it would have required taking it apart and a sewing machine, which she had no access to, so we will leave it Tia Maga to deal with in Rome.
With the dress dealt with, I decided to sew up some lingerie for her, using my wedding dress. It seemed silly to keep it in a box and not use it, so I took it apart, and was able to make her a robe and night gown using Vogue 8888.
The dress had aged to a very light ivory, and there was yards of lace to use for trim. The dress itself was acetate, and after some experimenting, I learned that it pressed well with lots of spritzing and the iron on the silk setting. The deconstruction actually took the longest. In working with the Vogue pattern, I found the finishing instructions to be a bit lacking or odd. I also believe that the collar instructions are off. Were I to do another robe with this pattern, I would go rogue and do my own finishing, and attach the collar the reverse of their instructions. As is, it seems to roll opposite of what it should; and I am not alone in thinking this. However, I love the way the belt is attached, and the pockets, so I may try it again, in a summer cotton at some point.
You can see how the collar is not quite right.
The night gown, however, was a dream to sew, and looks amazing. I used the main dress fabric, lace edging, netting and guipure lace from the dress.
Girl #2 loved it, so I am happy! My next job is to pull photos from her years 1-18 for the reception tables. She and her DH will be in Rome until after his visa interview mid July, and then will head back to the states in early August to get settled in before school starts. We are thrilled and relieved that this 7 year saga is finally ending happily!
Distractions got me! I thought I had a post ready for HQAL last session, but I guess I was dreaming! I had been busy completing secret Christmas projects for family, and I was all caught up in that, my apologies!
First Hand Quilting
I have been quilting my first snowman pillow. It is the one that will take the longest, because of the solid framing fabric. I found some line drawings to use for the borders, and as you can see, got a little carried away with those snowflakes! The other pillow tops will be less work, because I’m not going to put a bunch of snowflakes on borders that are already busy enough!
Please take a few minutes and see what my fellow hand quilters have been up to. Nanette has been busy healing up after a thumb joint surgery, but I believe the others will have a post today, if not tomorrow.
This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another. If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact me.
Knitting
Knitting has been a daily activity most of the fall, first with the student ornaments, next with gifts for family, and then Orkney and charity hats.
Back to the Orkney, which is the most exciting. I have finished the sleeves and have begun the painful task of weaving in all those ends. I am motivated, so I think my evening rotation will help me to finish that in good time. Once the ends are woven on the sleeves, I will proceed to the steeking, and get things put together. I have some 2 inch ribbon to use to finish the edges on the front once I have knit the button bands and neck .
I also have some socks for DH started, hopefully this paint in a combination of yarns that will hold up well AND make it through the wash correctly.
Alaska Quilt
It’s been a long process getting this top completed, but today I will finish sewing the rows and have a complete center. Still to go are the borders, which I haven’t decided on, but I am soooo happy to be done with those blocks with 30 seams each! I think the final outcome will be worth the effort, but today I am in the “just finish it” stage.
Clothing
I have a few makes in the works, of which I will highlight separately. Right now I don’t need any new clothes. I plan to spend some time in January cleaning out the closet…I have clothing that I have had for 25 years hanging in there, and it is time to consider whether it needs to be there. My office is much more relaxed these days, and much of my closet still looks like a wardrobe for a university professor.
Blogging
I want to be more intentional with my blogging this year. I have not done a good job of keeping up with it, but the break has given me a desire to get back at it more regularly. Granted, a full teaching studio has really drained my free time, but I need carve space for this, because you people are important to me, and I want to be more than just a quick like and a passing comment here and there.
I wish you all the best in 2024. Be wise, be safe and ask questions! Our world is not the same place it was 20 years ago, but we can still thrive and do good if we think for ourselves and don’t just follow.
I have been very lax with my blogging these days; I have found that my teaching schedule is a bit fuller than I would like, so I will not be taking on new families unless I have more than the usual moving away. (We have a huge military base here, so there’s a lot of folks moving all the time.) My schedule is nicely blocked this year, but the two free mornings I have seem to get packed with unforeseen requirements (mostly by DH 😆) and cleaning, so my craft time is confined to the evenings and weekends.
It could be that I am just in the late fall stress mode, so I will reassess after New Years. Getting the Young Artist recordings done will relieve much of that. Two more today, and then 4/6 will be done.
Over Thanksgiving break I was able to finish all but one Christmas gift, and also sent off my MIWW suit for national judging. I was able to reset the sleeves and they were much improved after. I also worked on the button issue, and a couple of small details I noticed could be improved, so I feel like I sent off my best work. I have no aspirations of winning, but would love to be named in top 5. I’m not holding my breath, though, because there will likely be more than one exquisite magnum opus (the make of a life time) in the lot.
But it hasn’t been all work and no play. I have managed some sewing time for myself this fall, completing several pajama projects.
I have been trying to sew down my stash a bit, and wanted to use the flannels I received for Christmas last year. I first made a bed jacket using a coat pattern, which was what started me down the pajama road in the first place. This was inspired by Pattern Review’s Warm & Cozy contest, which gave me the idea.
The blue pajama set used the plaid flannel and leftovers from my dress for Girl #1’s wedding a couple of years ago. I wasn’t in the mood to try to match that plaid and was wishing I had some navy when I remembered I had the remnants from my dress. There was a lot of lace left over as well, so I trimmed the sleeves. There was still quite a bit of plaid left, so I made the shorts and then decided try get a camisole out of the last bit of satin. There was just enough to cut a bias front, so used flannel for the back, and then had a great time playing with the lace. The combination of flannel and a summer type pattern has actually worked well, as I still tend to get overheated about 3:30 am!
The Nordic Christmas print seemed too busy to make a shirt, but I saw a plaid romper somewhere online, and decided to give it a try. I used a pajama pattern I had and merged the top and bottom together to make it one piece. Some of the inspiration came from all the discussion during the November sewing contest on Pattern Review. I had no plans to make an actual jumpsuit (not really my thing) but so many cool designs were thrown out, I kept going back, and when I saw the romper…I decided why not?! I hope the summer style in flannel will be the right combination of cozy and airy to keep me comfortable on winter nights.
Next on my list is the Christmas gift for my son in law. It will require some major drafting because he is a big guy, so it may take longer than expected. I am using McCalls 7638 as my inspiration, and a chore jacket by Muna and Broad to help with the armsyce and sleeve. That will be the project to work on this weekend in between more recording and rehearsal for a recital on Sunday. When I need a break I will put up some Christmas decorations!
Once the pattern is drafted, I’ll make a muslin and send it off to check the fit, so the actual gift may not be finished by Christmas, but I hope to have it completed by the New Year.
In between, I hope to work on my project, which will depend on whether the pattern becomes available. I might change my mind and work from one I already have, but I am hoping to try a Bootstraps Fashion pattern. You enter your measurements and the pattern is drawn to them, which seems like a great way to get a head start on a fitted blouse. I want to use the fabric from my mom’s 1958 going away dress. I deconstructed it over a year ago, and have been waiting for the right pattern to catch my eye.
This could also go into the December PR Contest for fitted blouses, but I won’t sweat it. The contests this year have been more for inspiration than actual competition, and I have enjoyed participating in the forums as well as the actual sewing. I have also participated in the monthly pop ups, which are just fun with no rules. In November the topic was gifts, which really helped me move my Christmas sewing and knitting to the finished stage.
A quick report on student ornaments. I have to clear the table and do little trees this weekend, and then I have just the new ornament to do. I had planned on a felt nativity, but realized that all those flannel scraps from the Nordic print would sew up into adorable mittens, so I’ll cut a bunch for the future, and clean up the pajama project at the same time!
A week ago I won the State MIWW competition, but with the suit I made in March for the Sewing Bee finals, not the cargo skirt and vest that I thought should win. I wanted the skirt outfit to win, because I thought it showed more creativity and versatility of wool fibers. Alas, the judges did NOT agree. They didn’t get it. What they did get was the fit of my trousers and jacket, in spite of what I would call major flaws with the sleeve caps…(major if it is going to be judged at the national level, anyway!)
I read their comments and grumbled for awhile, then decided I best ensure I was committed to improving my entry, so I ripped open (gently of course) the lining on the worst sleeve, undid the shoulder pad and removed the shoulder interfacing, and ripped out the sleeve head.
I pinned out 1/2 inch at the top of the sleeve head, and it completely smoothed things out. After I baste it, I will do the same to the other side, and try matching the plaid line at the top so they look symmetrical.
At first glance, it appears this will eliminate any tucks from the sleeve cap. I am wondering if I need to change the 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch and ease it to allow better arm movement. Anyone have thoughts on this? Once the sleeves are reset, I will put the interfacing and shoulder pads back in. I had sewn the shoulder pads to the outside seam allowance—they didn’t like that, so once I consult the directions again for placement, I may install a sleeve head. That is job #1
Next item is dealing with the peplum, which just isn’t laying quite smooth. I don’t know that I can do anything from the inside because it may have been an alteration mistake. How could that have happened? (I only had 27 pattern pieces that had to be altered!) I am not even going to think about this until the sleeves are redone. Be assured I may be asking for suggestions once I get there.
Some may be asking why all this fuss, especially with the world going crazy? I know, but I decided if I had another opportunity to send a garment up for national judging I was going to do my very best to make sure my garment was as perfect as possible.
Because the jacket is not recommended for plaids, there are sections that simply do not match, and I am betting that will count against me, either because they don’t match or because I chose to use the pattern anyway. The fit is spot on, which is a huge factor, so I want to clean up anything possible. I confess my hope is to place. I am not dreaming of winning, because I expect someone will complete an epic project that will wow us all. Mine is great, but I don’t think it reaches epic. Last year’s winner was featured in Threads, so you can see what I mean.
Actually, I am not stressing about moving on, but I do want to present my very best effort, so wish me luck, excellent problem solving, and lots of patience as I tackle these fixes between now and submission time in mid November!
Yes, it finally happened, and a full week before my deadline! Saturday morning I sewed the last snap and did a final press before hanging my Anzu in the closet .
It has lots of bells and whistles; layered patch pockets on the back along with a zippered one in the yoke seam, assorted tool pockets of various sizes on the side seams, front slash pockets and a coordinated holster pocket that snaps on. Lots of pockets! It is fully lined and has a double breasted front that closes with six bound buttonholes.
It looks really crooked…I can’t seem to stand straight!
It could have had a walking pleat and three more pockets, but I ran out of fabric, since I had already made a pair of trousers.
This afternoon I am off to Newell for the district contest. I expect it will be small but mighty. While South Dakota doesn’t have many entries each year, the sewing is top notch. The junior division winner (for ages 14-19) has won construction at the national contest for the past 3/4 years! I am planning to get photos today and next week if I make it to State.
I didn’t participate in the fair last year and I missed it, so even though we were gone on entry day, I prepared a few things and asked friends to take them over. The premium system was overhauled this year, so only one blue, red and white ribbon was given in each class.
I wasn’t able to see how everything did, because the one hour I was able to visit, only the quilt building was open. I had to wait until pick up day to learn if had won any ribbons.
I was more than pleased with my results!
My linen jacket and holster pocket won a blue ribbon in their respective classes in the sewing division, and my wool pieces took 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
My wool pants won Best of Show for sewing. I entered my hardanger collared top in the embroidery division, where it received a blue ribbon. And last but not least, my hand quilted Stars Over Baltimore won a blue ribbon in the quilting division.
I was pretty sure the pants would win something, but the quilt was a huge surprise.
Now I am putting the final touches on my outfits for the Make It With Wool contest coming up next week, using several of these pieces, so I think my chances are pretty good to make it to State. I’ll find out next Thursday when I go to Newell for the contest.
I have enjoyed participating in these events, and I appreciate the comments from the judges on how I can improve my sewing. Next year I want to focus more on my knitting, because I know I have a lot to learn there.
It has been slow but steady progress on the Anzu cargo skirt by Waffle Pattern Company. I have had to reorder the instructions because they are not friendly for the hem adjustments often needed for my high hip. The first instruction was actually to press the hem! I also had to account for my using a different fabric for the facing, because I didn’t have enough of the teal, and had to save it for the pockets.
I started with the holster pocket, and have it completed. I am not 100% happy with the directions. They are very explicit at times, but then very vague at others. That caught me on the holster pocket, so I had to hand stitch a finish on the inside for one seam.
As of this writing, I have the bound buttonholes in the skirt front, which does go left over right on purpose. I’m not sure yet whether I will use the recommend snaps for the waistband or try bound buttonholes there as well.
Yesterday I finished the back. I had trouble getting the yoke and back to match up, but it finally worked. The inseam pocket with an invisible zipper took a good portion of my sewing time. Once the main body is together I will turn my attention to the lining, and decide if I want to add that last inner pocket. If I do add it, the skirt will have 9 pockets, and I left two off!
Prepped and ready to attachThe finished back with all the pockets
I would like to have this finished before we head to MN late next week for my Dad’s memorial service. That will give me 3 weeks to do a practice tee, before cutting into the merino jersey. I don’t sew a lot of knits, so I want a practice run with that, and I want to double check the fit. With my first day of piano lessons starting August 21, and a full studio, I feel the deadline looming! Today is side seams and constructing the lining, then interfacing g the waist band. Time to decide about snaps or bound buttonholes!
Week 2 of my vacation has been a semi working week. I have drafted lots of studio stuff, worked on things for my Dad’s memorial service, accompanied kids at String Retreat, and NOT done any weeding.
It has been sooooo hot! Yesterday it hit 100 degrees, so we are all sweltering. With so many days in the 95-100 range, the house only cools down to 75, so by the time we can reopen windows, it’s 83. Thankfully, this only happens when we have 4-5 days in a row with the high heat. Today is forecast for 95, then we will start cycling down, so the night time temperatures will once again cool the house down making it comfortable for most of the day.
So what are my big plans? I have an outfit in mind for this year’s wool contest! I spent this week taping, altering and cutting the Anzu cargo skirt from Waffle patterns. I was just able to squeak out the the main skirt body, along with the back pockets, and a tool pocket. The holster pocket will be made out of a coordinating wool, as it is detachable.
My top will be a simple 3/4 sleeve tee made out of a light pink merino jersey. It came from New Zealand, and it is so soft and light, just amazing stuff!
The final piece will be the wool vest I completed earlier this year, you can see that the embroidery matches the light pink and darker rose wool. I will complete the outfit with black tights and my rain boots…this will be perfect for Bandit walks on the days I teach early in the morning. I can stuff his junk in the holster pocket then just unsnap it when we get home and change into regular shoes. All the pieces will work as separates, including with my wool pants from the sewing bee and another merino tee I hope to finish that is more of an aqua.
I am ready to start marking my skirt and just need to make a few decisions before I start sewing. Will I line all the pockets or do simple patches? How about bound button holes down the front…what type of buttons…any snaps…today I am going to take the directions with me to camp, as I will have an hour of free time to read or prepare fall info for my students.
Do you have any cool plans for projects? I would love to hear about them!
Sewing Etc. 