La Sewista !

Ready for the Beach!

2012-01-27T12:39:00.000-05:00

This is what I have been up to the past day and a half. Last weekend my BFF came over with a little topper thingy to throw over her swimsuit when she goes on vacation to Mexico next week. She asked if I could make or her one, or two, or howabout four? No problem. This was simple. I sent her shopping and she came back with some really thin knit that I think is Joann's Jet Set. It's very

Pretty & Pink Bag

2012-01-23T18:44:00.001-05:00

Today's sewing started with a trip to the felter. Some hand dyed wool strips were needle felted into the front of the bag. Then I pulled out some wools and later some embroidery threads to get some stems on the bag. There will be three larger stems, not shown, that will end under the flowers. This is like embroidering through a board with the thick felt and interfacing but it's manageable

The Pink Felt Bag

2012-01-22T17:42:00.000-05:00

I've had some questions about houndstooth felt bag I just completed. Since I was jumping right in to another felt bag I thought I would have you come along for the journey to see how I go about it. First you need the wool, preferably a knit but not totally necessary. A 100% wool sweater is the ideal. Don't get blends unless they are angora or mohair with at least 60% wool. NO synthetics! They

Dibs and Dabs

2012-01-20T09:35:00.001-05:00

Right now my sewing is a bit unfocused alternating between play and actual projects. Here is a bit of what is happening in the cave. First, I downloaded Gennie Wren's Emily nightgown pattern and glued it to oaktag. I know I will be making this over and over. The fabric is now cut out and getting smocked. I took advantage of Joanns quilting fabric sale to pick up some fabrics for a summer

Blog Gossip and a New Bag, too!

2012-01-18T14:51:00.003-05:00

First, the gossip, or I should say, "actual news". I have been asked by Simplicity to be their guest blogger tomorrow on their New Look/Facebook website. I am thrilled at the request and hope you check out their page to see what is written. I am really honored that they sought me out. So join in the fun and check it all out tomorrow on New Look FB. *********************************************

A Wool Felt Bag

2012-01-15T14:35:00.001-05:00

This is where I landed. I am making a simple felted wool bag. It is the same pattern that I developed for the leather and lace bag shown here. The seams will be on the outside. I am almost done appliqueing the flower on to the bag. These are hand dyed wools. I did the green for the stem and leaves and purchased the red eons ago. I treasure my hand dyeds. You can always use the teeniest pieces

Play Time

2012-01-14T09:41:00.002-05:00

Last night was "palette time". This is that fun spell when you know just vaguely what you want to make. In this case it is a felted bag. That's all I know. So I started pulling out fibers and fabrics and patterns. I will stare at these for a while today, move them around, and make a decision. Hopefully I will be cutting by afternoon. I have no idea at this point where I am going with this other

Erica Wilson

2012-01-13T11:50:00.002-05:00

courtesy NY Times Erica Wilson passed away on December 13, 2011. I am amazed that the sewing blogging world has not paid its respects. Ms. Wilson was responsible for bringing the art of hand needlework to the world. British by birth she settled in Nantucket where she taught and had a retail shop. There is much info

Maternity Conversions

2012-01-12T19:53:00.003-05:00

I do alterations and dressmaking on the side as I feel like doing it. I like to do really simple things like hems or something that is very challenging. The in between stuff doesn't interest me much. I don't post these alterations as they are just that, alterations, but this latest job was quite interesting and I thought worth sharing. I was approached by her superior to convert some police

Sham's Tablecloth Skirt

2012-01-09T19:24:00.002-05:00

Since the first moment I laid eyes on Sham's fabulous design she named the "Tablecloth Skirt" I have been smitten. I am going through some skirt love lately. I think its my new boots but no matter. I want to make this skirt, BADLY. It is very effective in plaids. I love stripes and thought the graphic quality of the stripes could be really interesting with design. Bloggers, check out Sham's

Office Chair Slip Cover Part One

2012-01-06T14:55:00.000-05:00

Last night I could barely sleep trying to work out the construction of this slipcover and the problematic arms. Long about 4:00AM my Eureka moment occurred. Make a muslin, duh!!! I got right on it as soon as I found a few moments this afternoon. Above you can see Muslin #1. Its clumsy, has been manipulated a lot, but is a good basis for Muslin #2. I took the pieces apart, pressed them, added

Next in the Queue - A Slipcovered Office/Sewing Chair

2012-01-05T08:51:00.002-05:00

I am embarrassed to say I finally found my white matelasse bedspread right here under my nose. It was one of four layers of blankets on the guest bedroom bed. (It gets a little cold here.) I went to change the linens and saw it there. How did I miss this? It quickly became a non blanket and future slipcover for my sewing/office chair. Don't tell DH I am cutting it up although by now he has

Threads Magazine, #159, Putting On the Brag!

2012-01-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

When we left to head to Boston and the Cape we stopped to pick up the mail at our little local post office in the village. Waiting in the box was the latest issue of Threads. Inside the section "Reader's Closet" was my red sweater/jacket that I made from wool jersey I had felted. I was tickled. It is great to get this acknowledgement. Months ago Threads asked readers to post garments that were

Happy New Year!

2011-12-28T07:24:00.001-05:00

Winter is here this morning in our little village. The visitors are all snug in their beds so I am stealing a bit of blog time before we hit the road. I will be gone till next week and want to wish you all a Happy, Healthy New Year. May your goals be realistic and be attained! I will probably not post until next week some time. I have been pondering my goals and ambitions for the New Year. I

One More Time

2011-12-24T15:39:00.001-05:00

You are not seeing double! This is the second LRD post and since there are comments on the first one I won't delete it. I value your comments too much! DH came in, saw the pics, and suggested he retake them. Here are his efforts. It will make him happy to know I showed you all what a great photographer he is ;). You can see I changed jewelry. I have decided to go with the original jewelry

The Little Red Dress all ready for Christmas! (Simp 2771)

2011-12-24T14:38:00.001-05:00

I think you can tell I am pleased. I like the dress but not the fact that I can't see the buttons on the camera without my glasses so sorry about the face glare! The dress is very comfortable to wear and a bit heavy. The waist stay makes a big difference. I did end up hand picking and then beading the zip. It looks really pretty and is subtle but noticeable. I used three red delica beads to a

Doll Clothes by Genine

2011-12-20T06:45:00.002-05:00

I would love to say that I made these but they are all from my sewing friend's Etsy site: Gennie Wren. Aside from being just stinkin' cute, Genine's patterns are VERY well produced. The patterns are well tested by other stitchers and the directions are very clear with lots of color photos and PDF patterns to print off. I highly recommend you take a look at her pattern shop if you are doing any

LRD continues

2011-12-19T08:07:00.000-05:00

The sleeves have been installed. I bound the seams in the same manner that I bound the neckline using a bias strip and its raw edge. This has turned into a bigger project than planned but aren't they all a week before Christmas? After some errand running today I will hit the dress again. Today will be the zipper and hems and then a belt for the waist, I think a bow belt. I used over 90 inches of

Simplciity 2771, LRD continues...

2011-12-17T20:09:00.001-05:00

There are many different ways to do things in the sewing universe and I have been known to even do the same thing several different ways. What's the Bobbi Brown song say? "That's my prerogative". I appreciate all the comments regarding passing on via the blog the details of sewing this dress so I will continue with something you may not have seen anywhere else. It's sort of not kosher,

Simplciity 2771, LRD continues...

2011-12-17T07:57:00.001-05:00

Here you see the bodice fronts taped to prevent stretching. The lace bodices are underlined with the poly and stitched all around. A poly chiffon selvedge was used to tape the bias edge of the neckline. It was cut 1/4 inch shorter than the actual pattern and the edge distributed along its length. This helps pull in the neckline to the body. If you look close you can see how the selvedge doesn't

LRD Muslin #2

2011-12-15T12:32:00.003-05:00

A little better, don't you think? and here's the front: Almost there! I ended up cutting a size 8 in a D cup and did the "petiting" I do to every pattern. Upon seeing the pics I've decided to add a bit more width to the side seams to get some more ease , gotta breathe, you know! And I will alter the shape of the shoulder seams, higher toward the neck, lower toward the bone. On the muslin

Simp 2771 and an LRD (Little Red Dress)

2011-12-14T17:59:00.001-05:00

It's been busy here with much production happening in the cave. First I made my DGS some jammies he requested for his birthday. Pattern: Simplicity 2771, my TNT. It is unisex and carries all sized from toddler to big guy. I like that this has no collar. No one would iron a collar on a pair of pajamas so I don't want one. You have seen me make this several times so I won't go into too much

CJ for an AG

2011-12-11T12:59:00.000-05:00

100 minutes and tons of hand stitching....Bunny (smile)

The Leather and Lace Bag, My Own Pattern

2011-12-08T18:19:00.001-05:00

Pattern: As I have been making bags lately, I have given thought to shapes and styles that I like. Some bag patterns are just overdone and I have been really thinking simple. This bag is the result. It has a removable shoulder strap so it can be used as a clutch as well. It is lined with a pocket. Its probably measures about 9 x 11 inches. There is a cuff at the top edge and no particular

Another Bag on it's Way

2011-12-07T19:27:00.000-05:00

My next bag is sort of a combo of the above two. I love the leather and lace, a classic go together and I love the shape of black Kors bag as well. I have loads of black faux leather. I worked out my own pattern this afternoon and hope to jump right on this tomorrow. I also dyed the lace as you will see. More tomorrow. Sherrill asked where I got the red pleather. The red is more of the faux

McCalls 5019, American Girl Doll Carrier

2011-12-06T09:41:00.003-05:00

They are coming at you fast and furious! Another day, another project! This one was 6 hours on the clock start to finish. Pattern: McCalls 5019, an doll carrier and clothing patterns for the American Girl doll, aka, the "18 inch doll" in pattern copyright speak. Easy peasy pattern. Fabric: 100% quilting cottons, mostly from the clearance table at Joanns. This is a good size bag with a full

Butterick 5576 , A Soft Clutch with Chains

2011-12-05T18:33:00.002-05:00

One bag done, several more to go. We'll see what time allows. I made this yesterday and it took about six hours. I don't know who will get this as a gift. I am just going to make a bunch of bags and parcel them out once done. Pattern: Butterick 5576, the same pattern I used for the felted wool clutch seen here. Its easy but now that I have done bag number two I will complain. I don't like

A Soft Clutch, Butterick 5576

2011-12-04T21:43:00.004-05:00

What the heck is this mess? Its the jammies that refuse to happen. After spending two days tearing apart my workroom my TNT jammie pattern could be found nowhere. Sunday morning was spent going into town, a big deal when you really want to stay out in the country and sew, and getting a new pattern. Of course I didn't buy the pattern I wanted because that was not on sale for 99 cents. Instead I

Thread Sash Keepers, Tutorial

2011-12-01T18:06:00.000-05:00

II needed sash keepers at the bodice side seams for Carly's dress. Here is how I made them. I like this method because it is so simple and it allows you to use a perfectly matching color. The sash was the red velvet so first I found a hank of matching embroidery floss. Cut a piece about 18 inches long. Get out the water soluble stabilizer, aka, Solvy. Place a square of Solvy in the center of the

The Comfy Christmas Dress, Simplicity 2377

2011-11-30T15:46:00.005-05:00

I think I accomplished my goal here, a comfy, soft feeling dress that says "Christmas" for my little clothing fuss budget, Carly. Here is the low down: Pattern: It is Simplicity 2377, a classic little look, what my grandmother used to call a "gypsy dress". There is no zip, buttons, or placket. The neckline opening stretches quite large and it will fit over her head with no little aggravations

Texturizing Fabric

2011-11-28T17:34:00.001-05:00

If you recall my inspiration garment, which you can see here, the green underskirt is textured. I have seen this kind of textured sheer at Joanns and it just reads cheap to me. Maybe in a different fabrication I would feel differently. I didn't want anything like this sheer but I did like the idea of some texture in the green underskirt. My goal here was not a lot of depth to the texture but

First in the Holiday Queue

2011-11-26T07:34:00.001-05:00

These are the fabrics I have chosen for Carly's Christmas dress. I got them at the huge Joann's in Middleton, Mass. The off white and the embossed velvet are both stretch velvets, very important to our little miss who likes all things knit. The green taffeta will be the underskirt. All will be lined with "Posh" that poly lining from Joann's that you couldn't pay me to wear but as this dress will

On Thanksgiving, From the Other Side of the Ironing Board

2011-11-25T16:58:00.001-05:00

We are back home in our little cottage on the Deer River and had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our children and families further south in New England. While nursing a wicked cold/asthma, and helping iron ten panels of silk dupioni draperies for DD#2, some serious meditation/pondering set in. Here are a few of my Ironing Board Musings from the day before Thanksgiving: It takes nearly an hour to

From the Field, achooo ooo !

2011-11-18T18:27:00.000-05:00

This is my ninth night down in New England having already hit Cape Cod, NH, and now the North Shore of Massachusetts. All has gone well with babysitting duties but grandma has one heck of a non-departing cold. Hopefully it will be over with soon. I need it like a whole in the head! Above is a dress I plan to knock off for Carly. It is from Zulilly who has some darling children's fashions. Carly

And the Winner is.....

2011-11-09T15:29:00.008-05:00

I used Random Generator and number 49 came up. and the winner is: Beth of Salmon 53 !!! ( I did not count my personal comment.) Congratulations and thanks so much for leaving your comment and joining the fun. Please email me ASAP. I will be leaving tomorrow for 2 weeks down in New England. If I get your snail mail address quickly enough I will mail your package out tomorrow. If not, it will be

GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-11-06T17:20:00.001-05:00

Thanks so much, everyone, for the lovely comments on the Butterfly Back Dress. I can't wait to see it on Sophie. Your comments are always appreciated. They are so appreciated, I have decided to have a GIVEAWAY! The following bunch of goodies will be shipped to someone in the U.S. who has left a comment on this blog. I'lll use Random Generator and will pick the winner Tuesday evening at nine

The "Butterfly Back" Dress is complete!

2011-11-03T19:13:00.001-04:00

While this dress has bullions and a big bow, it also has a "butterfly back", an additional layer attached to the back skirt. It is cut on an angle using a "wavy" acrylic ruler and rotary cutter. I have seen this back treatment on a few designer coats out this year and thought it would be a nice feature to translate to a child's dress. The two "butterfly" pieces are slightly gathered then

The BB Dress, near completion

2011-11-01T22:21:00.001-04:00

The dress just needs a hem and a good press. I should have it up tomorrow. Today I will share a couple of construction details. Above its the wrong side of the bodice. On the left is the back side of the smocked insert. You can see I fused interfacing to the back of the insert fabric before pleating. This helps plump up the pleats. I was limited in the amount of fabric I had and while I thought I

The BB Dress Bow

2011-10-29T12:59:00.000-04:00

This morning I finished the bow for the back of the dress. It' an important feature of the design as you will see. I have decided to also do some additional embroidery on the BB part of the dress so it will be a bit longer before the full unveiling. Hmmmm, what's that BB stand for? The bow is interfaced with a hair canvas that has been preshrunk. The HCanvas is cut on the bias. This will be

BB Dress Sleeves

2011-10-28T09:43:00.000-04:00

I am determined to finish the BB dress today or early tomorrow. Then it will be moveon.bunny. There are a lot of gathers where the sleeve meets the sleeve band. To space them out properly I used my oaktag pattern piece, aka template. Little clips came in hand to clip the ends down and then spread out the gathers evenly. I have one row of gathers (2) riding each side of the 3/8th inch seam line,

Brilliant Pincushion

2011-10-27T09:59:00.001-04:00

I take no credit for this idea. It all goes to Kathryn at I Can Take The Time. She came up with this remedy to the always frustrating dilemma of where do I throw the pins as I am whipping down this long pant leg seam. Brilliant, Kathryn! I wasted no time making my own little pin cushion. You just make a little tube with elastic coming out of each side, stuff it with fluff, sew it shut, and

Magazine Organization

2011-10-26T19:16:00.002-04:00

Several days ago my husband discombobulated the back basement, two rooms worth. This was all to make room for cords of hardwood to be stacked in the house. Like a runamuck bulldozer things were tossed, piled, and shoved left and right to accommodate the wood. We are now prepared for winter. We will not freeze. But, Alleluia, what a friggin mess was left behind. So, since my company has been gone

The BB Dress , #5

2011-10-23T16:39:00.000-04:00

Here is where we are with Sophie's BB Dress. All smocking and embroidery is complete. The insert will be hand then machine stitched to the bodice side panels. Piping is made and installed on the bodice. There will be more on the sleeves and back. For the bullions I used a solid floss for the centers and first ring. The next bullions were made with a combination of the original floss choice and

Smocking Inserts

2011-10-17T09:32:00.004-04:00

The smocking on the sideways insert continues and is actually close to being done. It is really just a simple baby wave. The magic happens with the bullion roses which I should start soon. I will take my time with those as they are not something I do as well as I would like to do. Usually a few practice bullions on scrap fabric gets my fingers going. Each rose looks better than the last. My

Pattern Weights

2011-10-16T10:45:00.001-04:00

This is that candle time of year. I love the smells of cinnamons, sages, cookie doughs, apple pie spice that permeate the air now that the windows are closed up for the winter. What's that have to do with sewing, you ask? Lots, I tell ya. Thanks to the geniuses at Pinterest I just learned how to clean out one of these used up jars and get that dang plastic thing off the cap. You can learn

The "B" "B" Dress

2011-10-15T21:17:00.001-04:00

I have started with the BB dress for Sophie. I was paranoid to the point of insomnia over whether I had enough fabric to work out the design of this dress like I wanted to. I did, whew! I am using two coordinating fabrics, one an allover print, the other a large stripe. To get what I needed out of the allover print for the bodice and sleeves required some finagling but I think it ended up better

Choosing Color When Smocking

2011-10-13T12:38:00.000-04:00

I was determined to do better with my color choices for the smocking on the BB dress. I wanted to take my Aussie smocking friend's advice. She suggests taking either the lightest or the darkest shade found in the fabric and then going the next shade lighter or darker and use that as your main color choice for thread. With that in mind I went to Joanns yesterday and purchased assorted beiges and

Sophie's BB Dress

2011-10-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

Why is it called the BB dress? I will keep you guessing until I can't keep it from you any more, which will be sort of at the end. It will all make sense in the end. This was my mockup that I brought down to NH to work up on Sophie. The center section will be smocked so I had to work out the width of the smocking and the length of the neckline. I ended up adding 1 3/8 inches to the length. She's

Peak Color in the Adirondacks

2011-10-11T09:21:00.002-04:00

Last night we came back from NH to peak color up here on the Northern border. It is just breathtaking. It was getting close to dusk when the pictures were taken but they are still brilliant. This morning they are even more so. Humor me with this fall pictorial. This was the view from the dining room window. The Deer River is in the background and running typically low for this time of year.

Selena's Bishop Completed

2011-10-06T14:44:00.001-04:00

Another Bishop style dress is completed! This was made for my BFF's new grandaughter, Selena. It is a size one and is a Trudy Horne's Shoulder Button Bishop design. I chose to do the center back opening view of this dress. I have lost count of all the bishops I have made from this pattern. The directions are VERY clear and I highly recommend it for a beginner. I love making these for gifts as

Much in the Queue, S2771 and S2284

2011-10-05T18:02:00.003-04:00

Yes, its been a few days since I have posted. I have worked through more of the same "cushion" work so did not feel I could post anything you hadn't already seen. I have also been working away on Selena's Bishop and that should be completed and up on the blog tomorrow, so thanks for your patience on that one. I've also had some local client work as well as some big issues in DH's family so it

The Mini Pressure Washer

2011-09-28T15:17:00.001-04:00

There is something about this time of year that always puts me into a dither of organization and cleaning. It could be that I am preparing my nest for winter hibernation or is it that I am following my mother in law's rules to do a total fall and spring cleaning every year? Either way, I am on it, leaving the depths of winter for more creative endeavors. Yes, this is gross but I bet yours are

Faux and Flannel!

2011-09-26T08:06:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was a "free" day, no cushions but I will be back on that saddle this morning. Instead I chose to do a bit of fabric shopping. My Christmas sewing is getting planned and I wanted specific fabrics I had previously seen to work up my choices. For some little boy jammies I decided to go to the quilt shop on the Akwasasne Native American reservation. Its a wonderful shop, stocked to the

Dolce y Gabana

2011-09-25T08:58:00.004-04:00

I have my boucle. I have my hand painted silk charmeuse lining. I HAD visions of doing a classic Chanel jacket using the more "speedified" method from Threads as opposed to the Kahlje method. Then I saw this on Net-a-Porter. I am in love! Are those vertical strips slenderizing or what? It looks so great with the jeans. It is the length I love. The mix of fabric and textures is also right up my

Home Dec Window Seat Cushions

2011-09-23T15:08:00.005-04:00

One large cushion completed. I have three more to go so bear with me as I power through THREE MORE!. It was relatively easy to make. Here are some thoughts I had as I made my way along this home dec journey. As I have sewn long strips of bias, cord, welting, and seams I have had a chance to figure a few things out that seem to only apply to home dec sewing, not my "regular" sewing. Always

Cushions #3, Welting

2011-09-21T14:52:00.006-04:00

The past several days the focus has been on putting up more vegetables for the winter. The two previous days were spent roasting tomatoes and other goodies down to a sauce and bagging them up in the freezer. DH and I love "caponata" so today I roasted a couple trays of tomatoes with all the tasty goodies again but also the addition of cubed eggplant and capers, yum! I've been using fresh herbs

Cushions Continue, #2

2011-09-18T09:24:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I dealt with the foam. It is high density polyurethane foam. Because Audrey's window seat had little measurement idiosynchrosies each piece of foam is marked Left or Right and has arrows for Up and Front. By wrapping the foam with quilt batting the cushion should fill more nicely in the corners and crevices. Again, this is info gleaned from that great Sunset publication. You can get a

The Cushions Begin

2011-09-17T12:57:00.000-04:00

Twenty Two yards of welting completed and I've got a stiff neck! Now its time to suck up the fumes from the spray adhesive being used to attach the batting to the foam. Just kidding, as I will be going outside to the picnic table for that chore. My "Sunset" book suggest using a ski type zipper foot for the entire construction. Makes sense as all seams are either welted or zippered. For this I

Bias Strips Tute, Method #3

2011-09-16T20:23:00.005-04:00

I just made 22 yards of bias strips for the welting for Audrey's cushions. It went very quickly and I like this new technique I tried. I found it gave me more accuracy and was pretty easy. I call it Method Three or Bagged Bias because you sort of make a bag at the start. I used Method Three because I think we all know the fold it up and rotary cut method (#1), the method that looks like a pair of

Smocking Q & A

2011-09-15T20:11:00.004-04:00

I have started the smocking on Selena's bishop. I started on the wrong row and had to rip all that out and now its my second try. You can see, somewhat barely the threads that hold the pleats together. The rows are marked with white quilting thread and the half rows in between are a light brown. I always pleat half rows. I am not really good at judging distance, particularly when doing the wave

Selena's Bishop

2011-09-14T15:19:00.002-04:00

The dress is all pleated, pleats are now counted and I am ready to smock. I will be using the Dimity plate from the The Best of Australian Smocking and Embroidery, my go to book for smocking designs. Bishop dresses require that a "wave" design or some other very elastic design be used at the bottom of the smocked area. This allows the pleats to spread open as it falls over the child's upper

Selena's Bishop

2011-09-13T15:53:00.003-04:00

The musical interlude is over and we are back to sewing! Those guys were great, weren't they? My BFF just had her second grandchild and she is a little girl so this is where best friend Bunny jumps in and says, "Hurray!" I get to do a frilly little project. You've seen me make this dress many times. It is my go to Bishop dress. I use a Bishop as a gift garment because the size is so forgiving

Wakeup Lovelies!

2011-09-12T06:59:00.001-04:00

I just couldn't resist! This gets hotter exploding at the end.

See

Beaded Valance is Complete!

2011-09-10T15:03:00.001-04:00

These are complete and I am pleased. I sure hope Audrey is as well. Today I mounted them on the board. I used the same board as the original designer but his returns went beyond the width of the board. I will velcro those to the window molding so nothing will be swinging out. I'm also thinking of adding some weights at the hem of the returns to help them not wing out like the original valance.

Audrey's Guest Bath Window

2011-09-09T17:22:00.002-04:00

This is DD Audrey's guest bath. It is an oddly shaped room as the house sort of rambles at an angle but it is still pretty. You can see the custom window treatment the previous owner had installed about 2 years ago. It is falling apart with the returns winging out. It looks a little short here too but doesn't seem to IRL. I took this home with me to help with making the new window treatment.

Sewing Room Window Finished!

2011-09-08T18:54:00.002-04:00

These took me most of today and a bit of yesterday to stitch up. They are lined and banded. I put the sheer underneath to soften the view. I love looking out at the garden and the wildlife but don't like the framework of the porch encroaching on the view. I thought the softness of the sheer could hide that a bit. I used eyelet to make the tiebacks but I am not sure I will stick with these the

Thoughts Between Home Dec

2011-09-08T05:56:00.000-04:00

I saw this notebook at Staples and just knew it would be perfect in the new room. Last year I decided to track my work in a notebook and am glad I've started that practice. This notebook refines it up a bit. My notebook keeps me from marking up patterns and gives me notes on fit adjustments. I have found this really helpful. The drawback with my previous notebook was that it was chronological

Home Dec Beginning

2011-09-06T06:21:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful vackay, spending quality time with family among 4 generations. I came home with a big Granny-do list and will try to start sewing today. Here you can see me cutting high density foam for the window seat cushions. This is Audrey's mudroom. There are two window seats that lift up for storage and a window to be dealt with. We started by cutting all of the foam pieces. The only

Home Dec Looming

2011-08-26T15:52:00.000-04:00

After making that new ironing board cover I got the urge to re do my studio. I am yearning for a bit more sophisticated look and think black and white and the salmon pink walls will work. Above you some of the fabrics and textures I am considering. I will need to cover another small square ironing surface, make new window treatments, a new bulletin board, "upholster" my stand up lamp, hang up an

2011-08-25T10:41:00.004-04:00

Original inspiration: Very fancy, metal frame, crystal kiss closure, log cabin with rose in the middle, asymmetrical folding, pleating My interpretation for the real world I live in: Pattern is Butt 5576, again. My interpretation uses wool, silk herringbone suiting, faux tooled leather, and silk dupioni for the red rose. The design is also an assymetrical log cabin with a rose center. It has

On a roll...

2011-08-23T18:33:00.002-04:00

While changing my linens on our bed yesterday, it occurred to me that our nice white wool blanket would make a fabulous stuffing for the ironing board. I snuck it down into the cave and started cutting, no guilt! I was repurposing when I didn't even have to! I have had my eye out at the local thrifts for wool blankets but they are rarer then hen's teeth. Anything wool is rare at the local

Mc6076, Near Disaster!

2011-08-21T18:57:00.003-04:00

When is the last time you saw me with a wadder? I can't remember either. This one came very close. But if you have been reading here for some time you know I am persistent if nothing else. I am glad about that as I now have a shirt I love. Pattern: McCalls 6076. I did a size 8 morphing out to a 12 at the hips. This is a classic shoulder princess style, one that I love because of all the

The Nancy Zieman Collar

2011-08-18T12:56:00.005-04:00

I started watching Nancy Zieman on public TV maybe about 20 years ago. In those days it was all about garment sewing. She was the only game in town and I consumed every word she uttered, taped every program, and bought every book. I truly have learned so much from her, much that has stuck with me for many years. Her approach is to use the simplest methods to get the most professional results.

MCCalls 6076, Yasmine Inspired

2011-08-17T14:53:00.005-04:00

Yasmine is an incredible designer who lives in Tibet. Nearly every garment she designs utilizes major surface design. I could own or enjoy making everything I see on her site. She has a white linen shirt that really caught my imagination. The picture is locked but you can see the image here in the summer collection. I knew I could do these tucks but at this time of year I am not up to a white

B5576, Wool Clutch Bag

2011-08-15T13:06:00.006-04:00

Luvin' it! Pattern: Butterick 5576, four views of a very simple to make clutch. Easy construction, would recommend for beginning, eager bag makers No zips, pockets, thick strap issues. Love the style. It may be "Mad Men", it may be a throwback to my long gone youth, but lately I have been experiencing clutch craving. Highly

Felted Wool Flowers

2011-08-14T19:32:00.002-04:00

There is a lot of info out there on the net about how to make felted wool flowers. They are pretty much the same technique so it is hard to credit anyone in particular for the originality of making a fabric flower. I think the clearest, most thorough info came from this site, Creative Cain Cabin. There were lots of great ideas on this blog so please check it out. Here is my own spin on the flower

A Felted Clutch Bag, B5576

2011-08-13T19:17:00.001-04:00

This sad lump of fabric was a Geiger inspired jacket out of a wool I purchased from Sawyer Brook way way back in the early 80's when they were in Amherst , NH., really! I bought this when the original owners of SB ran the store, a small operation focusing on a mail order catalogue more than retail. Anyhoo, these jackets were all the rage back then and I did wear this a lot to work. On a recent

Lousy Draft? Butterick 5387

2011-08-12T17:13:00.002-04:00

I actually really like this and may even make it again. I do think it has major drafting problems as will become clear here in a moment. Unlike some I had no problem at all with the directions and actually thought the text was pretty clear although the tech drawings for #18 could be confusing. I will run you through a detailed tute of how I did this neckline. (picture heavy) First you stitch

The Pattern From Hell?

2011-08-10T21:25:00.002-04:00

Well you would think so based on the 7 reviews of Butterick 5387 over at PR. Not one person could make the neckline work by following the directions. Some said it took hours to figure out. While this would have made most people walk away it made me even more determined to make this design and to make it as directed. After studying the reviews at PR, I pulled out my pattern directions and read

The Tablecloth Dress, Vintage 1950's

2011-08-08T16:11:00.002-04:00

All done! I am pleased. My template smocking has a way to go but for the first time I think it will pass. I have never been a strong picture smocker. The challenge of getting a viable dress design out of the limited yardage and design of the tablecloth was really great fun and I totally enjoyed the process. If ever faced with this challenge, know that it really isn't difficult. You just need

Frixion Pens

2011-08-06T17:41:00.000-04:00

There has been some hubbub in the blogosphere regarding these pens. They are called Frixion Pens and can be found at Staples. Mine had a 2 for 5.00 dollars special when I picked them up Thursday. You can get a pack of three in black or a pack of black, red, and blue. So what's the deal? They make a very fine line, something not that easy to do for many markers. Here I did my sampling on some 100%

2011-07-29T21:25:00.000-04:00

Here's a little peak at the Table Cloth Dress, really too close to appreciate. It is very near done. Today was one of those loaded with all the trivia required to hit the road for a week long trip, pay bills, get groceries, etc.; just lots of non sewing "stuff". So the little dress is not quite done but I will finish the minute I get back. I am going to visit with DD#2 for a week in New

" The Sparsely Wired"

2011-07-28T15:02:00.001-04:00

(photo courtesy of Popular Mechanics) That quote comes from an article in the New York Times. I moved to this area 6 years in October. I had a gut feeling they had no broadband out here. I was right. I clearly remember asking the realtor as we stood in this home before making an offer, "do you have broadband or DSL?" His reply was, "what is that?"

TC Dress Units

2011-07-27T10:37:00.000-04:00

If you have been reading for a while you know that I am a "unit" sewist, one who makes all the smaller units before putting them together in the garment. I don't make the collar, put it on; don't make the pockets, put them on, all in order as the pattern specifies. Instead, I make all the individual units, straps, pockets, sleeves, etc. and then put them together. Usually the first thing I make

The TC Dress - Template Smocking

2011-07-24T17:08:00.003-04:00

With this dress I am trying out "Template Smocking" . More information on this technique can be found in the "A to Z Book of Smocking" from Country Bumpkin. Love their publications! Anyhoo, a template is made of the desired design. It is then traced around with a marker on the pleated fabric. Then the outline of the template is stitched with a very tiny chain stitch using one thread of floss.

The Tablecloth Dress Begins

2011-07-23T17:43:00.002-04:00

The third times the charm! It took three attempts to finally get my fabric pleated. Oh, it pleated like butter. The problem was the "pleator", moi! The first try was off off grain as you can see in the picture. I decided to redo the pleating. I was pleased with how smooth it went through the needles. Second try had me with stitches missing, who knows why? The third attempt it all came out

Lots Going On!

2011-07-22T18:00:00.001-04:00

And the WINNER of the set of pewter clasps is, tah dah,,,,,,,,,,,,(tension building).....Joyce in NC!!!Email me, Joyce, at bunnypep at wildblue dot net with your snail mail address. I am changing my ISP next week and will have a new email next Thursday so get in right away on the old addie. Our little village is going BROADBAND, YAHOOOOOOO!!!! More on that next week. Tonight at Eight O'Clock I

The Stripes continue! Simp 2593

2011-07-21T15:07:00.000-04:00

I have stripes on the brain. If I had my Pfaff I would do another striped knit after this top. They are just such fun to work with. Pattern: This is Simplicity 2593, a Cynthia Rowley design. It really is just a simple little tank with a bias tube collar. No darts. The bust dart is rotated to a gathered neckline hiding under the bias tube. Fabric: Fabric, I think is from Ima's legacy. It is a

Vogue 1109, Sandra Betzina Knit Top

2011-07-18T17:03:00.002-04:00

I had myself all dolled up and in my new nautical garb and could not get my remote to work on my camera. Since my devastatingly handsome photographer was not available today, you get the dress form version. Hope this doesn't sound weird but it looks better on a live human than a stiff dress form. Now that all the disclaimers have been filed, here is the good stuff. Pattern: Vogue 1109, a Sandra

Vogue 1109, Striped Knit Top

2011-07-17T17:48:00.000-04:00

I really thought I would be done today but no way. I had to pay lots of attention to the stripes and this old Kenmore, who is serving me without complaint while my Pfaff gets fixed, is not up to great knit sewing. However, if I go slow and pay lots of attention I can pull of something fairly reasonable. This project has really made me appreciate my Pfaff and how much more professional it has made

Sandra Betzina Knit Top

2011-07-16T22:28:00.000-04:00

I have started work on Vogue 1109, a Sandra Betzina pattern. It is for a knit top and I will be making it in a blue and white stripe knit. I have always loved stripes and the magical things they can do to a garment. Remember those old movies with the Adrienne suits? Love that stuff! This fabric is a wicked four way stretch that I picked up at Joanns in Massachusetts. They had quite a knit

Giveaway!!!

2011-07-15T21:09:00.002-04:00

In my absence we passed the 350 follower mark! Thank you to all who follow. Your readership and comments are VERY appreciated. I would like to celebrate this milestone as well as thank you all with a small, but I think nice, giveaway. Above you see part of a set of six pair of pewter closures. These would be lovely on a sweater, a boiled wool jacket, or any wool item. Some time ago I was gifted

The Glorified Pillowcase Dress and a Summer Blouse

2011-07-14T17:00:00.003-04:00

Pattern: This is a Daisy Kingdom pattern from Simplicity, 2433 and I did a size 5. This is what many call a Pillowcase Dress where the top of the pillowcase is slit, armholes bound, and a tie put thru a casing at the top, a darling idea if you have some vintage PCs handy. Here, Daisy Kingdom has glorified it further with the ruffle at the top making the casing and a ruffle added at the

If I Could.....

2011-07-03T13:52:00.001-04:00

I would show you lots of pictures regarding the past two weeks I have been missing. Unfortunately, my seven (!) year old battery died on my Cannon G6 and another is being shipped to me as we speak. Thank you, Radio Shack! That camera would be showing you the following: The great royal blue and white 4 way stretch I picked up on the cheapo at Joann's in Middleton, Mass. That is one huge

White Linen Top

2011-06-22T15:38:00.001-04:00

Back to my favorite fabric, linen. This time it is in white. I decided, stepping out of the box here, that I would make a sleeveless linen blouse. Claire Kennedy's latest newsletter references the over fifty sleeveless issue with some very good suggestions. But a hot summer day has made me decide to walk on the wild side a bit and just go for it. I'm away from home right now so you have to

Color, Line, Texture and..........Boats

2011-06-19T08:10:00.001-04:00

Other than some early married years, I have lived on or within a quick walk to the water. As I teen I lived on Lake Street and spent countless days swimming and ice skating with friends there. For 21 years we lived in Weare, NH on Lake Horace. We moved from there to living on the Deer River here in upstate NY. That house in New Hampshire came with a boat, a pretty sad excuse for one, but we

Burda Style 7535

2011-06-16T17:03:00.003-04:00

In a nutshell: love the design and finished product. The pattern SUCKS and is 98% useless. While a beginner could handle this design fine, the horrid, poor excuse for what should be instructions bumps it up to the more experienced stitcher. On to the finished pants... The Pattern: Burda Style 7535, from the catalog at Joanns. I knew the catalog patterns had seams and hems included but I didn't

Burdastyle 7535, The Funky Details

2011-06-14T17:37:00.002-04:00

These pants are complete except for the detail you see above. I found some spot on buttons colorwise from the vintage buttons Ima gave me. I proceeded to make the buttonholes and when it came time to sew on the buttons I realized that one had lost its backing as you can see in the picture. With the pants totally complete otherwise, I have to wait to see if I can find button backs at JA's or at

Burda 7535, aka, The Funky Pants

2011-06-12T18:26:00.001-04:00

Let's not kid ourselves here. These pants are not your usual trouser cut. They are wide and they have big darts at midcalf. The waistline/hip seam is below the waist but the waistband is high, extending into the ribcage. Because I have a narrow upper torso and my body can always use some lengthening, I thought this pattern could possibly work. At the least it would be a roomy, comfortable, sort

Another Tiny Heirloom Dress

2011-06-09T17:45:00.002-04:00

Has a bit of a peasant/Mexican look, doesn't it? This was such fun to make and I think took care of the smocking fix that needed attention. The fabric is 100% handkerchief linen, probably my all time favorite fabric. I don't think you could make this stuff look bad if you tried. Even once its all wrinkled it still has the "look." This is the same Joan Hinds pattern that I used for the