Sewing a Blouse

Yesterday I went to M&L Fabric, which is very close to me and picked out some prints to use for a wrap-around tunic style blouse. By the time I got them all pre-washed and dried it was dark out and I like to cut my patterns out on a table outside.  So today I hope to get it cut out. I'll have to alter the pattern to fit me.  As I've come to learn, if you want to sew accurately, you have to adjust each and every pattern. Women are all lumpy and bumpy and every lump and bump requires a pattern adjustment. Every time I try to take a shortcut and just sew it as it is, I regret it. The pattern is McCalls M5233. Wish me luck.

Yoga Socks

Back between the age of dinosaurs and the 1980's, I took many a jazz and modern dance class.  We weren't allowed to wear socks in class. Those would be way too slippery for the waxed dance floors.  Most of us had regular tights, and had to cut the toes and heels out of them.  But then stirrup tights came around, and those looked a lot nicer. So when I ran across a free pattern for yoga socks at a store, I was intrigued.  Those sure brought back some happy memories. So I of course want to design my own yoga socks. So I looked it up on Google, and evidently a lot of people know about yoga socks. I guess you wear them for Pilates too.  I haven't had an official yoga class in years so I guess I'm out of the loop.

My daughter was taking yoga during her pregnancy. Maybe she'd appreciate a pair of hand knit or crocheted yoga socks.

My New Sewing Buddy

Yesterday on Etsy I found myself a sewing buddy. She may live on the East coast while I live in California, but we can still cheer each other on via Facebook, Etsy and our blogs. As soon as she gives me her blog address I'll share it so you can see her awesome sewing skills. I just don't know how she does all that as well as working full time.

I have tons of sewing to do. I have to get some of it done, because it's taking up so much space in my apartment.

Here is a snood I just finished. I already got it listed on Etsy.

Flowery Sundress

I'm happy to say my new wardrobe website got about 50 viewers today, and I just started it yesterday.

For my second outfit, I took a wrap dress/ skirt that I sewed in high school, and by sewing just one seam on it, I made a sundress that is ever so comfortable. I've been wearing it all day and I feel great. It's slinky, flirty and ever so fun to wear. And it's driving my boyfriend crazy because it's both short and low cut. Scandalous!

Since I bought the fabric in the 70's, it is now considered vintage fabric. Now I'm glad I never threw it away. I'm even happier that I'm getting some use out of it. And somewhere I have a matching triangular shawl.

Tiger Baby

About 3 AM this morning I was surfing the web and came across a video that triggered an old goal I had. Namely, to go a whole year and only wear clothing, accessories, shoes, handbags and fashions I'd either re-purposed, embellished, or created from scratch. So today I'm making the commitment. I wanted to dress that way today so I had to chose things I had on hand already in my wardrobe. So here is the look for day 1.

I have never worn these 3 pieces with each other. The skirt I made for a belly dancing costume. The t-shirt I painted for a dance group I was starting. The hair ties I made to sell on Etsy but never got around to listing them. Somehow the colors all work together and I feel fabulous in them.

The navy pumps were so damaged I'd actually thrown them away yesterday. But this morning I rescued them and started gluing on buttons and beads and odd bits of earrings. It's going to take me awhile.

The best thing is I feel fabulous and totally me!

SCAMPS

I just founded a group called S.C.A.M.P.S. which stands for the Sewing, Crochet, Art, Metalwork, Patchwork Superstars. I made a NING group. Still working out the bugs, but it will be my version of a Stich-N-Bitch only much more expansive. One of the things I hope to do is make up for the lack of art education in public schools by passing arts and crafts to a new generation.

Men Who Sew

I'm not the only sewer in the family. Here's my boyfriend using his Mitsubishi sewing machine.

He's making bowsocks for archery. Not only is he sewing them, he dyed them all as well.

Retro '60s

Simplicity 3833 dress pattern

Simplicity 3559 dress pattern

I just bought 2 retro 60's sewing patterns. I was born in 1958 and I miss the fashions that were around when I was a teenager. In fact, one of the dresses I saw in the pattern book looked just like a dress I make in sewing class in Jr. High School in  1971. I thought my teacher was daft for making us sew a lined dress in S. California but I did learn a lot making it. It has princess seams and set in sleeves and a zipper sewn in by hand. I think my teacher's head was stuck in the 1950's. Sewing classes in high school were much more pleasant. We could make anything we wanted provided it was a skirt during the skirt lesson or a dress during the dress segment. In Jr. High the teacher would pick maybe five patterns, the class would vote, and you'd be stuck with whatever pattern won.

Blouse and Corset

Here are some Halloween photos of me wearing items I've made, namely the purple blouse and the purple corset. I use them for both my pirate garb and my witch outfit. Also I made the headband with the coins out of stretch velour and decorated the hat myself.

Gotta Get a Move On

I need to start sewing again or I'm going to lose my mind. I suddenly fine myself with more to do than time to do it in! Ack! At the very least I have to make a lemur for a friend who's been very patient so far but I'm sure he's beginning to think I flaked out on him.
It's just that I'm having a wee issue with my sewing machine. Namely the tension isn't cooperating. The stitches are pulling out. I have to fiddle with it some more. Ultimately I may have to take it to a repair shop but usually I can solve my own problems. There seems to be a lot of slop in the tension wheel. I don't think that's normal. I was going to use my back up machine, but I think it's buried somewhere. I haven't needed it in four or five years and I'm just not sure where we put it when we moved. I wish I'd thought to finish the aprons before tomorrow, and then my daughter, who is going to visit from Central CA could have hand carried them back to Santa Maria for me. Now I'll have to mail them, which is both expensive and more impersonal. Oh well, unless I want to drop everything and sew all day straight that's not going to happen. I also have to work on my novel and I have a writer's meeting tonight. So many goals, so little organization.

Aprons

If you are one of my daughters, don't read this.

I'm suddenly in the mood to sew aprons. So today I went to M & L Fabric and bought enough for two aprons. I'm aiming for a retro look. For one apron I chose a reddish orange main fabric with chili peppers on it. The contrasting pockets and strap will be orange with yellow polka dots.

The second one will be a colorful swirl print. For the contrast I found a brown fabric with pink stars (two of the colors in the main fabric). I also got some ric-rac to highlight the pockets and bib. I'd show you photos but the fabric is in the washing machine at the moment.  I'm not usually a fan of brown, but my daughter's new kitchen has brown as the main color.

Whatever Happened to Culottes

For a few days I've been wondering whatever happened to cullottes, those half breed between pants and skirts. And I actually found an online pattern for making your own here: http://www.earnestlycontending.com/KT/Studies/living/culottes/culottes.html Since I don't look good in pants anymore, I thought maybe culottes would be the solution.

I've also been watching old episodes of the original Star Trek and I could swear what the women are wearing on the ship is a version of culottes.

Repairing a Gypsy Skirt With a Ruffle

One of my favorite gypsy skirts has a severe rip in it. I thought it was a goner. But I just figured out a way to make it a skirt with a ruffled side slit. I'm going to cut around the tear in a hair pin shape, and fill it in with a vertical ruffle. And now I see I inadvertently made another tear with the safety pin. But I should be able to eliminate that in the same cut. I told my boyfriend my clever idea and he said it would be much easier to just patch it. First, I disagree, as the rip includes 3 seam lines that touch it, and second, it will be way sexier the way I have in mind. He said it would be a lot more work. Maybe. He said I could patch it from the back, but I hate the way that feels when there is a big heavy square of 'iron on stuff' on a light flowing fabric. We'll see.

At any rate I can't do it today. I have a custom hat order I need to finish first.

Butterick B5100 Tunic Pattern

My daughter came down for my birthday and on Jan. 4 we went to Joann's craft store. I found a pattern in Butterick that I really wanted only they weren't on sale at the time. The retail price was $15.95. On sale they are usually $1.99 for Butterick. So I decided to wait until it was on sale again.
It's a tunic B5100 that I think will be the perfect backdrop for knitted or crocheted cowls, shawls and scarflets, like the leaf scarf I just finished crocheting. It would also be a little dressier than what I normally wear and I could wear it to interviews or meetings.

So then about a week later I was trying to move my bedroom chair when I realized something in a plastic bag was hung up on the chair legs. I finally got it worked loose and it was a bag with patterns in it. And one of them was the one I almost bought at Joann's. So I was really glad I didn't buy it. I know I'm not the only one that accidentally buys duplicate patterns.

Fantabulous Interview

An interview with the costume designer of Wicked. I know I will watch this again and again. If you love fabric, don't miss it.

Halter top

Self-portrait of me wearing one of the halter tops I made. I love cherries as a theme.

I just signed up for Tagfoot. http://ping.fm/lfV6m Come see all my links and comments and my wishlist.

Steampunk Tutorial

Want to join ping.fm too? Go to http://www.ping.fm.Use the code 'legendofping' and you could have the luxury of posting to all your blogs in one fell swoop like I do. Way more efficient than doing it one by one.

I'm not sure what 'ping my default' means but I guess I'll find out when I hit send.