Happy New Year!

I want to wish health and happiness to everyone in 2011. I think that it's been a tough year on many levels.

I have been spending the past few weeks working and recovering from the cough that I caught in Egypt. I'm mobile and able to go into work, but dang, when I start coughing, everything stops for about 5 minutes.

I've spent this afternoon re-organizing some of my fabric stash and trying to sort out fabric that I'm not going to use and that I should donate/trade/gift. I'm going to do the same thing with my clothing. I just have too much fabric in my apartment. I'm participating in PatternReview's Stash contest, so I need to clear out space for new garments in my closets and drawers. I have several TNT patterns for tops that will work nicely, including the BurdaStyle 9-2010-121 turtleneck that I managed to trace off and sew earlier this week. Since I can make these patterns over and over again, I should take the opportunity to clear out tops that I no longer wear.

The massive amounts of sewing related stuff are making me feel uncomfortable and I'm glad that I'm sorting through things. Last night I went through and organized my sewing magazines (Burda, Knip, Threads) to clear out some space. I managed to pull out my UFO's (Un - Finished Objects) from under my sewing table (when I reached a stopping point on the project, I put it in a 3-4 gallon ziplock bag and tossed it under the table. Out of sight= out of mind). I seem to have more trousers projects than I remember.

I'm not buying any more fabric until I go to Los Angeles in March (fingers crossed that my plans work out). I did manage to buy some more fabric for Christmas New Year's presents for my coworkers, as well as a quick trip to Fabrics R Us in San Jose for garment fabric. I'm was sad to realize that Fabrics R Us has consolidated to two storefronts, instead of the three that I'm accustomed to seeing. I worry about the fabric stores and vendors--I am seeing more sales announced more frequently: I sense more tough times ahead. I hope that my friends and colleagues remain in business.

My goals? To consume what I purchase (to reduce on stashing--if I can purchase it once, then I can purchase it again. I don't need to buy it all at once); to take a worldview on events (to look at things from a perspective more widely than my own); and to take pleasure in simple things.

Also, if I'd appreciate it if I could find the key to my storage unit, so I can put my luggage away. :)

Home

Frankfurt airport, December 9.

I'm home from my travels. I'm still recovering from jet lag, and the lingering cough from my mystery Cairo cold. My cough was so bad that talking would set off a round of coughs.

I also had a sewing mishap while putting away my luggage. I have generic black Costco luggage. I wanted to make certain that I could easily identify my stuff on the airport baggage carousel. So right before I left, I used my rotary cutter to cut several strips of brightly colored fabric ( about 12-14 inches long and about 1/3 - 1/2 inches wide) to decorate my luggage handles. I just tied them around the handles.

It worked wonderfully, so after I returned I decided that I would cut some more strips. So, I'm jet-lagged, recovering from a cold, and not paying enough attention--yes, these are all the ingredients for a rotary cutter accident. Direct pressure and elevating my hand worked very well, but dang it's difficult to type with a bandaged fingertip. Over the past few days, I've graduated to a regular band aid. Good news, though--no blood got on the fabric!

Did you spot it?

I'm in Zamalek in Cairo for my conference. The Zamalek neighborhood is the home of many embassies and is international. I walked past this news stand twice before I noticed the Patrones Joven. When I walked down the street, I found copy of Elena coutoure.

Spelling

My iPod edits and "corrects" my spelling without paying attention to grammar. In my previous post, I meant to write "words to that effect" not "fords to that effect"

Sent from my iPod

Shopping is a sport

I imagine that it's a retail frenzy now in the USA. I'm in Aswan Egypt, which is in the south. It is hot here and it's supposed to be more laid back and relaxed. It doesn't have the Cairo's frenzy, but it does have it's own intensity.

In egypt, Shopping is a sport--the merchant befriends you, you talk, the customer gets tea, he makes an offer, you make a counter offer, then he counteroffers (accuses you of being cheap or fords to that effect) you walk away, he lowers the price and you accept or you keep walking while the storer owner shouts outrage. This goes on and on. But the next day, when they see you, it's like you are an old friend. ( i had a roommate like that). And this happens at practically every shop.

Not all shops are pushy--many of the storeowners do express a sincere curiosity and interest in tourists (especially if try see you everyday) but the noise, being constantly greeted and hearing everyone call out, "Obama! Amreeka!" happens frequently enough that I'm staying away from the souk until i leave for the train station.

Another aspect is that (at first glance) i look Egyptian (or like a native Arabic speaker). When I ask for the price in Arabic, it costs 2 LE. When I asked for clarification (in English)--I can't recognize the numbers when spoken--and I'm buying two of the items (e.g. Small cartons of juice), the second item costs 3 LE. 1 LE is a small amount to worry about (an American perspective) but this endless haggling is, well, annoying. I'm not going to Luxor (where I hear it's worse), and I not going to the Cairo markets without friends or a guide.

I swear after this experience JoAnn fabrics will look heavenly. *smile*

Elphantine island

A view of the archeological site. In the upper right, I think that is the mausoleum of the Shah Aga Khan.

A technical note

I have two camera with me on this trip--- a canon digicam about 5 years old and this iPod touch about 4 weeks old. (This iPod touch is one of my favorite purchases of the year. I just have to make certain that I have access to wifi.) The pictures I'm posting were taken with the iPod. At some point in the future (not immediately after I get back) I will be able to download the pics from my canon.

Obligatory fabric note: I wore my blue linen HotPatterns Marrakech pants and a brown long-sleeved T shirt (Burda) made from bamboo jersey. I was fairly cool. Linen and bamboo seem to be great fabrics for hot weather. The Marrakech pants garnered a comment from an observant moslem man who called out, "thank you for wearing modest clothing" then he wanted to talk about Louis Farrakhan. I told him I was Catholic, shrugged then walked away.

Sent from my iPod

Yes, it's that hot.

Aswan, Egypt. Elephantine island. 1:53 pm.

Frankfurt airport - one special purchase

I had a two hour layover in Frankfurt. I spent most of my time charging my iPod and having lunch, but I did have time to make one purchase. I didn't have time to read the English edition that I received at home, so I purchase the German language version.

I did look through the magazine called Cut, but I decided not to purchase. It was more crafts than sewing and I hardly ever craft.

I arrived safe and sound. One tip--if you travel with cans of cranberry sauce in your suitcase, expect to get your bags inspected. :)

On my way!

I'm at SFO using the free wifi while eating lunch and waiting for my flight. The TSA lines were long, but they moved quickly. The agents were friendly and professional and I did not observe anything out of the ordinary.

Right now I am at the point on my vacation where the adventure has begun. Actually, the adventure started with the crazy shuttle driver-- it's the first rain of the season and the roads are very slippery. I swear, we skidded on at traffic signals and I was worried we were going to rollover. He did slow down when I asked, but I couldn't help but feel this was in preparation for Cairo's crazy taxi drivers.

Sent from my iPod

In less than 24 hours, I will be on my way to....

In less than 24 hours, I will be on a plane, headed on my vacation to: Egypt!

I visited Egypt in 2004 and I had a lovely visit. I've been trying to get back to visit ever since. This past summer, I realized the stars aligned and I had friends there I can visit, so I made plans and so now I'm going!

The attached picture is from my 2004 trip. My tour guide at the time provided a detailed list of what the women should wear. After we arrived in Egypt, some members of our tour group (myself included) realized that our leader erred on the side of being very conservative and as a consequence, many of us felt very dowdy or that we were dressed as new age hippies. You can dress conservatively, without looking like you are wearing a costume of some sort.

I was not sewing anything at that time, so most of my clothing was very inexpensive stuff from Marshall's, which includes this floral campshirt and black capri fitness pants (with a white stripe down the side), and I snood that I purchased at a Cairo mall. It was fine wardrobe for traveling, but I dread looking at the pictures from the trip: you know--the pictures of when you visit the pyramids, etc, and you want to show your friends later...

In any case, when I look at my suitcases (how shall I fit everything?), I see that I have made most (but not all) of the clothing will be things that I have sewn myself. I'm so happy! If I can, I'll send brief blogging updates via email. I know that I have enjoyed reading the different travelogues. If you don't hear from me, I'll be gone from blogging for about 3 weeks.

It started raining on Friday--winter has started in Northern California. Our long extended summer has ended. I'm flying from San Francisco (rainy) and through Frankfurt, Germany (cold), so I need a warm jacket. This morning I finished the Ottobre Woman Winter 2008 #6 knit jacket. About 2 years ago, I had made a zipper-less version from a cotton raschel knit. This time I used a black stretch fleece, similar to powerstretch (from a fabric store that is near Happy Stop in Oakland) with a swarski rhinestone zipper. I purchased the zipper about a year ago: if I remember the prices correctly, the zipper cost more than the fabric. I did add some darts along the back--the jacket is supposed to be loose fitting but the fabric didn't drape in a flattering way. I'm not certain if I'm in love with the way the zipper was installed. When I make this jacket again, I'll have to look for a different method from the one that OW suggests. I also want to add inseam pockets.

So for traveling, I'm wearing the jacket, a burda t-shirt made from a black/grey tribal jersey print with a black burda pull-over sweater. I'm wearing store bought yoga pants from Adidas--they are a loose-fitting trouser pants made from a knit, and cost way more than I expected, but they fit and I don't have a suitable fabric in my stash.

Okay--I need to pack a few more things!

Edited to add--I want to wish everyone a very happy and safe Thanksgiving! Please eat some turkey for me (the dark meat) and stuffing!

Rose

Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things episode is ....

an orgy of conspicuous consumption.

I used to like watching the 'Favorite Things' episode, but in the last few years, I've been turned off by the outrageous product placement and endless screaming audience members. Yes, I know that she has to approve the products. And yes, if I were in the audience, I would enjoy the gifts. And I know that the audience members are worthy souls. But while sitting in my living room, watching Oprah distribute the products (carefully naming the retail price) with polished munificence, I almost want to go look through mythology or fable reference book and try to find something that matches.

Hmmm..

Thank goodness for UFO's and TNT's

I'm leaving on Sunday, travelling to warmer place and I've sewing at least 1 garment a day. I can only do this because I'm sewing TNT patterns (TNT = Tried and True). Sewing TNTs means that I don't have to make a muslin of a new pattern. I don't like the actual physical process of making a muslin (practice garment), but I appreciate why I should make one. If I don't make a muslin, the first version of the garment that I sew turns out to be a muslin.

I've sewn two bamboo knit jersey (purchased from a coop) Burda t-shirt: one brown, one white, both with three-quarter sleeves. These should work for simple casual everyday clothing. I have used at least 3 yards from my stash. I'm sooo happy!

One of the events I'm attending recommends that I pack a garment suitable for a cocktail party (well, that's how I'm reading the event description). I rarely wear cocktail dresses, I don't go to church, so I don't have a lot of dressy clothing. I live in the capital of business casual, so I'm went through my closet and tried to find some separates that might work. I found a somewhat boho skirt: it's a wraparound skirt made from a shiny pink wine colored skirt with what appears to be a sheer black sari overlay. I was going through my fabric stash to locate a suitable black fabric for a dressy-tshirt top, when I found a UFO (un finished object): a Vogue dress, 8386 (now out of print). About 2 years ago, I started to make this for an event that in the midst of sewing, I decided not to attend. I made view B, in a thin sparkly black knit (fiber content unknown) purchased from Simon at Happy Stop ($2 a yard!) in Oakland. I think that it's go the right amount of glamour.

When I stopped, I had assembled the bodice (the bodice was the most technically challenging part of the dress) and the dress's skirt and I had partially assembled the two pieces. I did have the foresight to put all the fabric pieces, with the pattern (and instructions) in a big (three gallon?) bag. I was looking for the extra fabric, when I pulled out the dress, it looked great despite being in a plastic bag and moved around on the floor for the past 24 months. Perfect for traveling! LOL! I finished assembling it, tried it on and hemmed it. It should work out very well. I'll have to make certain to bring a shawl or scarf to wear with it, so that I can cover my arms if I feel uncomfortable.

This is all coming together--I'm so happy.

Two shirts!

It took me a little longer than I expected, but I finished the two shirts today. Buttons and buttonholes take longer than sewing seams. I should have time to wear, launder, and check for loose threads and buttons before I travel (and press--I just noticed the wrinkles in the sleeve of the red cherry print. Yikes!). The gold and white shirt is an African print from a special bundle from Michael's (purchased earlier this year). I love the creamy white square buttons that I found at Joan's. Sorry about the iPod pic--my computer is still being repaired.

One down, one more to go

Well, I still need to add buttonholes and buttons. I'm going to use the red ones that are pinned to my dressform. I should be able to assemble the gold and white shirt tomorrow night. After that, I'll make some t-shirts. I have some bamboo jersey from a coop purchase.

Pardon the mess in the background. That is part of my ever-growing stash of fabric. I'm glad to have sewn something with this blouse weight cotton (with stretch). I purchased it over a year ago from Fabrics R Us in San Jose. It was $2.99 a yard (it was outside). I saw someone else purchasing it so I asked for some yardage. It's a fun print, probably, more summery than winter, but I like it and that is what counts. :)

Sewing Mise en Place

My laptop broke again but it's under warranty, so it's at the shop and I'm using my iPod touch. Sorry about the pic quality but it does make it easier and quicker to blog.

I was able to sew the front to the back (shoulder and side seams), and attach the button bindings. I'm a little bummed that I'm not as far along, but I'm sewing TWO blouses, so I should expect the process to seem slower. Tonight I should be able to sew the collars and sleeves. The pic shows one of the African wax prints from Michael's. I think that shiny white buttons will suit it nicely.

Simplicity 3684

I made one version from a lightweight pink ikat print from Happy Stop. It was such a success that I started two more versions. Since the fabric is primarily white, I don't need to change the thread. Last night I made the collars, cuffs, and button facings. Tonight should be able to assemble the shirts. The pic shows what I was able to sew last night. More later!

Triumph & Tribulation of technology

I just spent thirty min on the phone with tech support only to be told that my wireless router was broken. And would you like to buy a new one?

Hah! I pulled from my box of dead technology a combined modem And router. It took me another thirty minutes of almost random keyboarding to get the equipment to recognize a different ISP.

Triumph! And I got my iPod touch connected to the wireless,too!

Sent from my iPod

November! Random and scattered thoughts

I'm sorry for the long abscence, but I've been busy.

• What a wonderfully crazy weekend in San Francisco. Halloween, World Series, and Dance workshops all in San Francisco. I had a wonderful and busy time driving between the Mission, North Beach, Noe Valley and the Richmond district seeing ghost, goblins, the Pillsbury doughboy and lots of orange and black.
• My car. I took it in for routine maintaince gracious it can get costly. It's still cheaper than car payments, but gracious it's painful. Parts are cheap, labor is expensive.
• My laptop broke. I pushed the power button on my G4 and nothing happened. How sad. I tried to drop it off at the Apple repair place on Saturday, but they were closed for termite treatment. Happily, I was able to drop it off yesterday and the fix is relatively cheap. Memory is cheap, labor is expensive.
• I'm getting ready to travel internationally, so I bought an iPod touch to help keep in touch, but that thing needs to be synched with my laptop. The laptop should be repaired tomorrow, so right now I have a very shiny and pretty brick.
• Sewing. I'm sewing for my trip. I won't share details about where I'm going (until I get there!) , but I should need to dress somewhat for warm weather (no rain). I'm taking the HP Marrakesh pants, one of the Jalie trousers (made from jeans), and I'm making some Simplicity 3684 long sleeved blouses. This is one the Threads patterns with the different pattern pieces for different cup sizes. I'm almost finished with one blouse already. And yes, it will coordinate with the Burda 8269.
• I must remember that when buying buttons, buy them in batches suitable for blouses: 8-10 buttons, which means 6 buttons for the front placket and 2-3 smaller ones for the cuffs. Some of my travel blouses buttons will have mix and match buttons.
• I have too much stuff stashed away. I'm still working on getting rid of 1 bag of stuff a week. It's not necessarily sewing: it can be clothing, books, random items that have been hoarded away.

Sewing in the Transitional Month of October

I've been busy with several projects at work so, sewing has been taking a back seat. I've been sewing just a little bit, mostly small stuff.

1. Kwik Sew 2694, a knit top. I made view B, which is an empire cross over top from a leopard print knit. I have made this before It was quick and easy--a very nice way to get back into sewing.

2. Kwik Sew 3283, a neck pillow for traveling (one of those u-shaped pillows). I dug this pattern from my stash. I found a great bold cotton print that I acquired somewhere. It's a straightforward pattern, relatively easy to sew. I did not use fiberfil to stuff the pillow. I went to a store that sells foam (upholstery foam, Styrofoam, anything you can imagine). They sell bags of shredded foam, and I used that to tightly pack the pillow. The only problem I experienced was that the shredded foam gets everywhere! I had to bring out my hand vacum several times.

3. I spent this evening tracing Burda 8269, which is the plus size version of Burda 8407. Burda 8269 goes to sizes 44 - 54 (18 - 28). It looks like both patterns are out of print. This evening, I traced of the pattern on the Swedish tracing paper. Every piece needs to be traced out and the cutting layout suggests a single layer of fabric. And to make certain that I know what I'm doing when I actually sew the skirt, I have taped the pieces together. I have not checked to see if the front and back pieces are uniquely shaped. I may check that tomorrow before I cut the fabric.

I'm making View B (the same fabric throughout the skirt) I found a nice drapey royal blue rayon (I think it's rayon--I got it at either a fabric swap or an estate sale). The skirt pattern and fabric reminds me of a CP Shades skirt I purchased several years ago. It's a great comfy skirt that doesn't show wrinkles. It should come close. I'm also planning on making another version from another fabric, yet to be decided.

A Happy Accident (no sewing, but Caprica )

So I decided to stay up late and watch TV, using the On Demand service. I'm never certain which shows will be available, and whether or not they will be in HD. With certain series, I will watch the episodes more than once. Well, I think that someone made a happy mistake (which all sewers means is an opportunity).

Tuesday night was the premiere of Caprica on the SyFy network. I managed to watch the episode, but since I was distracted (I got home late and I was tire ) I didn't understand all of it. So tonight I decided to check and see if this episode was available On Demand. No, unfortunately it wasn't, but the second episode (111) of the season is available. I started watching it and I was confused because the episode didn't match my memory: Lacey does things that I'm sure I would have remembered, and I didn't get to see other scenes again (so I can figure out what happened), and other characters appeared that weren't in the premiere episode. It's a great episode, so catch it if you can.

Well, after watching it once, I'm watching it again. I'm so glad that I don't have any early morning meetings.

Stash busting- Bundle of Love and Artistry in Fashion

I saw the SlapDash Sewist's post on the Bundle of Love project and it sounded so timely, that I'm participating. The post I linked to does a great job summarizing the project, so I'm not going to add any more information. I'm just back from a trip to the post office to pick up some boxes so I can get some stuff in the mail early next week.

My stash (fabric, buttons, zippers, pins, threads, hand needles, yarn (! I don't even knit any more) and other notions that I have picked up at estate/garage sales) overflowth the storage shelves, closets, rubermaid bins, cabinet drawers, cardboard boxes, etc and honestly it's overwhelming. The lack of stash organization is contributing to the problem. I need to dramatically decrease the volume. I literally can't buy any more sewing stuff because I have too much stuff and I need to quickly get it out the house. The Bundle of Love project seems to fit the bill.

Oh yes, my refrigerator is fixed, so no doubt this urge to destash is heavily influenced by:

1. Rapid destashing of refrigerator/freezer contents. it was a very annoying event, but gracious, it's nice have all that room in the fridge/freezer.
2. Embarrassment of having the landlady and repair person tread their way through a nascent hoarders apartment. All elements of my fabric stash are in the same line of sight as my TV and when I channel surf and come across one of those hoarders reality tv shows, I have to rapidly change the channel. Why watch the show, when I'm so very close to living it! LOL!
3. The change in the seasons and recognition that I will be spending more time in my apartment than outside, since winter (such as it is in the San Francisco Bay Area) is coming.

On another note: Artistry in Fashion is taking place this week at Canada College, Redwood City, CA. I'm planning on attending. Sandra Betzina is having a fashion show at 11:00 in the theater and a bunch of sewing BABES from Pattern Review are getting together at 10:30 ~10:45 to watch the show. They have changed the venue and are holding the sales booths outdoors. It looks like it should be a lovely weekend.

Artistry in Fashion - Main site

Discount Coupon and map of directions <--print this out and get $1 off admission.

Map with Location details

domestic maintenance

My refrigerator broke again! The light goes on, but it's no longer keeping stuff cold. I lost a lot of stuff from my freezer, including homemade tamales, frozen lobster ravioli, frozen fish (1 salmon fillet and a bunch of pieces of frozen cod), felafel balls, ice cream including a new half gallon of french vanilla), butter. In the fridge portion, I lost some leftover food, cheese (new Parmesan flakes, condiment (ketchup, mayonnaise) and probably a whole bunch of other stuff that I can't bear to toss yet. This happened about a year ago. I'm so annoyed that it happened again. I know that I'm going to have to toss everything.

When I moved into this apartment 8 years ago, my frugal landlady bought the cheapest fridge in the store (I know, I checked) When I called her about the broken, she acted so affronted that it broke again. She wanted to know if I could stay home on Monday so I could be there when the repair person can. I can't--my job is really busy and she needs to deal with the maintenance issues. That is why I pay rent.

In other news, I was able to go to the San Mateo Quilt and Sewing show. There were was mix of different vendors: quilt, some sewing, and a number of trimming vendors. I bought some small plastic buckles, suitable for Jalie 2921, the scarf top. I almost bought some hot fix gemstones (they are really cool) but I couldn't couldn't decide on which designs to buy. I did watch some great Iron/steamer demonstrations. I know that I have reached a new level of sewing when I can contemplate an iron that costs more than $100.

I did sew two versions of Jalie 2921. It's a nice variation on a regular t-shirt. I do have some rhinestone circular buckles from SF SCRAP, but they are too large for the neck scarf. I was very happy to find the smaller buckles at the San Mateo Show. I might try to make another top tonight so I can wear it to work this week.

Self Stitched September!

I've been participating in Self Stitched September, but I have not been contributing pictures. We are 8 days into the month and I figure that this is worth a report. I've been wearing one of the several iterations of the Hotpatterns Marrakesh pants. It's still warm enough to wear the linen versions that I made earlier this summer, with one of the many knit tops (commonly the Hotpatterns Sunshine top).

I've also been working on the Jalie 2909 pattern. Right now I've decided to make a version out of denim for casual Fridays. Even though I have the Jalie Jeans pattern, I decided that I didn't want to take the time to trace out and fit the pattern, so I'm making it from Jalie 2909 (the very simple trousers pattern). I dug into my stash (literally, they were on the bottom shelf) and I pulled out some denim I purchased from an online coop. The denim is purported to be a factory overrun from 7 for all Mankind jeans. I prewashed it a while ago, and have had it tucked away until I had a great jeans pattern that fit me in a wonderful way. Well, I decided not to wait for a jeans pattern, but use a trousers pattern. I'm glad that I didn't wait.

I think that I have learned my lesson about cheap fabric---when I made my first pair of pants (about 2 years ago), I used cheap denim from a chain fabric store. Even though I've worn these jeans many times and I have laundered them roughly (no delicate wash for me!) , they are stiff and they have a waxy finish. When I folded away and stored the 7 for all Mankind denim (over a year ago), I didn't notice any difference from other denim but gracious, last night when I cut it out with my rotary cutter, it was like slicing butter. The quality of the fabric really comes through. I'm having a very easy time cutting, and sewing the fabric. It's got a lovely hand and I'm enjoying sewing this garment (when I sewed with the cheaper denim, I was almost fighting the fabric). I almost wish that I had purchased more of this lovely denim, but when I look at the volume of my stash, I'm glad that I didn't. But if I see premium denim for sale again, I will think twice! I should be able to finish the jeans tomorrow night during Project Runway--all I have to do is finish add the waistband and hem them.

There was some sad news earlier this week. Fred Bloebaum from La Fred passed away from pancreatic cancer. I'm glad that I have some of her patterns (her designs and from her personal collection). I know that I will enjoy sewing with them, and per her advice, I will always wear my favorite colors.

Ottobre Design Woman 5/2010

I'm waiting for the new Ottobre Woman to arrive (05/2010)--it should arrive any day now! I've subscribed to Ottobre women for several years. This is a Finnish pattern magazine is published twice a year (Spring/Summer, Autumn/Winter) in several languages, including English, German, Dutch, Finnish and Swedish. I love looking at the designs, models and fashion layouts. The Ottobre models represent a range of ages and body types, which is refreshing.

Why is this issue number 5 for 2010? Because Ottobre Design publishes other issues devoted to children, girls and boys. The designs are really cute, so if you have the opportunity to sew for young'uns you should check it out.

Ottobre Design Website

[True confessions: my primary impetus for posting this entry is to get two entries for a giveaway from Ottobre Women. That said, if I felt differently about Ottobre, I would not have written this. Please use your own judgment when reading anything on the web]

Self Stitched September and Jalie 2909

Earlier this summer I signed up for Self Stitched September. Last weekend I realized that September is only a few weeks days away, so I had better start stitching for the cooler faller weather. Well, starting on Monday, the San Francisco Bay area has been hit by a heat wave. It's been averaging 90 plus degrees in my area. I have found it challenging to pull the wool blends from my stash to sew. I decided that I need to make some winter/autumn weight (err...this is San Francisco Bay area winter/autumn weight, which means that while it might get cold, we don't get any snow or ice that doesn't melt away).

I have made progress, though. I have made 3 pairs of Jalie 2909, Women's Classic Trousers. As I mentioned earlier, this is a very simple pattern with 3 pieces. The pattern is designed for a fabric with 20% crosswise stretch (one of my favorite tips for a knit gauge is located here on the Sewing Diva's blog (not the current blog)) but you can alter the pattern for fabrics with zero stretch. Two of the pairs of trousers are suitable for autumn, in color and fabric weight (the summer weight pair was made from a pastel plaid---I'm going to try and wear them several times before the season is over). I've used stash fabric from Happy Stop, Fabrix, and Michael's (Yay! that's close to 9 yards!). I'm planning on making two more pairs, so I can wear one pair each day to work. When I finish making the trousers, I'm going to look at some tops, jackets and sweater tops.

Since I have altered the pattern so it fits, these pants a very fast sewing job (umm. I'm not putting in the crease and I'm adding belt loops. I should probably draft a contour waistband so it fits better). Cutting out the fabric is very quick (rotary cutter), and I can sew a fly zipper in 20 minutes. I'm not doing an elaborate seam finishing: just top stitching down the seam allowances with decorative stitches.

I'm going to try and use my bias tape collection to finish the seams. Now that I know that the pattern has been suitably altered, I can see that it will be easy to apply the bias tape before assembling the different pattern pieces. I have bazillions of yards and packets of bias and seam tape. Whenever I go to an estate sale that mentions sewing goods, I end up with more bias tape and zippers. My zipper drawers are full (yes, I have TWO drawers of all sorts of zippers), and I need to create a more organized space for the bias tape (and everything else in my apartment).

Speaking of estate sales, I found the mother load on Monday night, and it was right around the corner from my house. I had a trip planned to Costco and took a quick look at Craigslist. I saw that a "free stuff" listing that described "some sewing goods." Since the house was close by I decided to drop by. It turned that the previous owner (deceased several months earlier) was a serial crafter, from sewing to knitting to rug hooking to jewelry making. I was able to go through the items and ended up with a large amount of vintage patterns (including a lot of Stretch-and-Sew patterns), seam tape, more zippers, random yardage of nylon tricot in funky 1970s patterns, hem markers, and other stuff that I'm still going through. I ended up splitting the available collection of stuff with another sewist who was also going through the materials. My tiny little car was packed when I drove away. I told the young couple who were handling the distribution to call me if they found the button collection, but I also advised them that they could probably sell the buttons on eBay, especially if the buttons were on cards or that they would make a nice memento for someone in the family. I have an over abundance of fabrics and notions, so now I need to actually use some of it. When I go to estate sales, sometimes I see the foreshadowing of my own life....

August Accomplishments

I've been sewing a little bit, taking dance classes and have been watching way too much TV (as well as working and preparing for a work conference).

Sewing: I've made 2 more Simplicity 2614s. I still have a my muslin of Hot Patterns MoneyPenny PussyCat blouse to finish. I made one more pair of striped Hotpatterns Marrakesh pants. I used fabric with no stretch so they are slightly tight. I've put them away in the closet until I lose weight on my hips. I'm trying to eat less and exercise more.

I've also started working on a Jalie 2909, the simple trousers. I realize that Self-Stitched September is 2 weeks away. I need to make some autumn weight work clothing (autumn in the SF Bay area is not very cold). The Jalie 2909 pattern is very simple--there are 3 pattern pieces: the front, back and the waist band (okay, there is one more piece--the fly guard). I made what I think are my standard alterations: altering the back pattern piece for my full hips, which also includes lengthening the crotch and allowing for my full inner thighs. I'm almost finished with my first pair--I need to add the waistband, add the button closure and hem them. I'm planning on making further alterations: lengthening the hemline by 1 inch (right now, they seem to be just barely long enough--I'll have to use hemtape to hem them), lower the waistband (in the front, the waist already comes up to my navel and I still haven't added the waistband), and I will add belt loops because my measurements fluctuate throughout the month.

Dance classes. I've taken two dance workshops, 1 was very intensive, and I did enjoy going to back to dancing, I need remember to stretch. I developed a sore/tight IT band which made it painful to walk the next day. Stretching and massage helped a lot. I'm really enjoying my dance classes though. I forgot how much I missed them.

TV. I'm watching Project Runway, True Blood and Mad Men. Since I have comcast on demand, I end up watching the episodes in mini marathons, often while sewing. I know that it's more than a bit obsessive, but I have to admit, it's a lot of fun. Project Runway inspires me to sew, Mad Men inspires the styles, and well, after watching all the episodes of True Blood, it has made me reconsider becoming a vegetarian.

Project Runway, Season 8, episode 1 (no spoilers!)

Project Runway Season 8 started tonight. I watched the show (and will probably watch it again while sewing, if it's available on the On Demand schedule). My initial observations and reactions are:

1. It's an awful feeling when you realize that you have in your stash the fabric being dissed by the judges (either the exact fabric or it's cousin). Well, I can use it for a different garment. On the bright side, I also have material that is similar to the fabric that was used in the winning garment. Of course, it was mentioned in a silk purse/sow's ear context. Yah, I have the sow's ear. Several yards of it in different colors.
2. Most belly dancers don't dress like that. Well, maybe the skirt, but not the top. Unless they are intoxicated...
3. I like the longer format but the extra 30 minutes seemed to be absorbed by the large herd of designers. I'm hopeful that we will see more of the design process when there are fewer designers.
4. If I were on the show, I would pack a sarong, sari, or pashima shawl for fashion emergencies. Didn't any of the designers read articles on how to save space when packing for travel?
5. The Lifetime commercials are getting better. The movies still feature strong women characters, but they don't seem to be as cloying as they were during the last season. However, I do anticipate that by mid-August, I'll want to discipline all those high school students who attended the party where that main character's husband died under mysterious circumstances. "Just tell the truth right away and you will save many people from suffering and agony!"
6. The Austin Scarlett/Santino Rice show is strangely engaging. It's a combination of makeover show and a fish out-of-water show. I was expecting the designers to be very snarky, but they were very respectful which was a nice surprise.

African Fabrics from Michael's Fabrics/A Fabric Place

My bundle arrived from Michael's Fabrics today. They are gorgeous! I have 5 pieces which should be fun to work with. All of my fabrics came from the swatches that Sherri kindly sent me a earlier this month. ( I received 2, 4, 8, 9, 10) I'm going to wash them later this afternoon, so that they will be ready to go. I'm not certain which patterns I'm going to use but they are yummy. I found some new source of inspiration photographs--Jewel by Lisa-- courtesy of Eyeadaba's review on PR.

Right now, I'm recovering from a weekend dance workshop. I haven't attended a dance workshop in over a year. A weekend dance workshop means 3 hour class on Friday, 4 hours on Saturday, 4 hours on Sunday, and a show on both nights. I did not dance in the show on Saturday, but I did perform Sunday night. My arms and legs are very tired. I'm glad that I took Monday off from work. I'm happy to say that I made almost everything I wore this weekend (except lingerie and footwear), including the costume (very simple folkloric style). More on that later--I need to forage for some food.

Early Autumn 2010 Pattern Round-up

Simplicity, Vogue, McCall's have released their new patterns for Early Autumn 2010.

My top selections (in no particular order) are:

Simplicity 2339 - the Amazing Fit Shirt patterns with different pattern pieces for A, B, C & D cup sizes. I always buy the patterns where there are pattern pieces for different cup sizes.

Simplicity 2342 - the Amazing Fit Pleated pants, with different pieces for slim, average and curvy fit. I think that any pattern that will give me a head start on alterations is worth an investment.

Simplicity 2343 - Nice and Easy Pencil skirts., I like the interesting seam options, especially in views D, E, & F. I'm on the fence about the ruffles, but it's easy enough to omit.

[I'm not certain why this picture is so much smaller,but I'll try to fix it later]

Vogue 1203--Tracy Reese outfit. I like the top. The empire waist means that it's easy to alter, but I'm not certain how well it will look on women with full busts (e.g, myself). The skirt is okay (I'm not a fan of exposed zippers), but it doesn't appear special The outfit, as depicted on the envelope, is very nice, though.

Vogue 1204 - the Issei Miyake Tunic and Pants. Sigh. I like this but I have trouble seeing it look good on a curvy figure. I like the idea of making a slim cut pair of pants (in a plainer fabric--those diagonal lines on the pants on the pattern envelope make me dizzy). I like the cuff and the diagonal seaming on the tunic. I don't think that the drapey quality of the pattern would be flattering on curvy body. I imagine it would the fun puzzle trying to make the tunic follow my figure and go in at the waist.

Vogue 8672 - Easy Options. Five fun pencil skirts--just fun variations, with interesting waistbands, inserts and/or ruching. I don't wear a lot of skirts, but I can see this one being a classic.

Vogue 8664 - Very Easy Vogue Custom Fit for A, B, C, &D cup sizes. A lovely, slim-fit dress with a sweetheart neckline, with a head start on the alterations

Vogue 8679 - a wardrobe pattern with a jacket, skirt, top, and pants. I would buy it for the top--a simple raglan (short) sleeved t-shirt that's fitted.

McCall's 6162 - a classic sheath dress, with an inset waist. I'm glad that McCall's sewed up the version with the epaulet/tabbed sleeves, as I would have had trouble seeing how the tabs would have looked in real life (as opposed to judging from the technical drawing). Now I can see that the tabs don't really seem to work. The sleeveless or the sleeved version look great though. And it might be fun to play with the stripes/plaids/checks with this pattern (e.g. put the inset waist piece on the bias or on crosswise layout).

The eighties revival continues!

McCall's 6170--I like this motorcycle jacket, although with the asymmetrical zipper, it does appear to be channeling Michael Jackson in the 1980s.

McCall's 6171 - Made for you including custom patterns for A/B, C & D cups. instead of Michael Jackson, you can channel Eddie Murphy. I might pick this up (at a sale) for future reference.

And you can tell that it's the beginning of the sewing season: Halloween and Holiday gifts are starting to appear in the catalogs. Here's one that looks pretty cute:

McCall's 6180 - a Halloween costume for a child that is as cute as a bug ... or bee ... or arachnid!

fabric overload/ bundles

Hi, My name is Rose and I have a fabric buying problem. I see fabric, I want to hold and caress and own it. I have a hard time stepping back.

Michael's Fabrics of Maryland sent out a note earlier this week stating that they are selling some bundles of African cottons (42 inches wide). I asked Sherri if she had any more information about the fabrics, and she kindly scanned in some samples. I really wasn't going to order any more fabric (I already placed two other orders with them in the past 4 weeks), but when I saw the fabrics I bit and I ordered a small bundle.

(standard internet disclaimer) I don't work for or with Michael's Fabrics--I'm just a happy customer.

According to the email message, "these are authentic African cotton prints. They are 42 inches wide and some are metallic. We are offering bundles at $4.25 /yard. The cuts will be between 2-4 yards. They are 15, 20, 25, 30 and 50 yard bundles." So if you have questions about this fabric, please contact the Sherri or Michael using this information . I'm posting this because I've seen some questions about the African fabric on different internet forums. I won't answer any of the questions about the prices/shipping/availability, etc because I'm not the vendor. [I'm not planning on leaving this post up forever--I plan on removing it in a few weeks, as I imagine that the fabric will sold]

[Edited to add: Saturday 12:30 PDT--Sherri emailed me and let me know that many of the fabrics are depicted below have been sold out, but they have 30 or more of the African fabrics.]

Where did June go? Oh, well! On to July...

I hope that you have been as busy as I have. I've been distracted by work, working out, the World Cup, HBO (I subscribed so I can watch True Blood, but I didn't realize there were so many other shows available via On-Demand), and my home internet access breaking down. The internet access broke first, which led me around in circles for a while, trying to figure out what sort of internet/phone/tv/cell phone combination will work best for me. I didn't make any major changes, but thank goodness that I live in an apartment complex with neighbors who are generous with their wireless access. My new modem should arrive later this week, and I can stop imposing on my neighbors.

After the flurry of sewing in May, I slowed down in June. It's July and so I'm starting up again. I've worked on two blouses: I've perfected the Simplicity 2614 bias blouse pattern. Even though it has different pattern pieces for different bust sizes, I still had to do an FBA. I also lengthened it (I like to wear my shirts on the longer side). I also found out that this pattern works better in a drapey rayon weave, rather than a woven cotton (even if the cotton has crosswise stretch). This pattern goes together so quickly, that I should consider this part of my TNT patterns, even though I have made it only three times. I plan on making another version before the week is over.

I also tried putting together a muslin of HotPatterns Miss Moneypenny Pussycat blouse (HotPatterns 1047). I had traced out the pattern a month or so ago, but I actually cut it out in muslin to check the fit, as well as the instructions. I'm glad that I made a muslin, as I couldn't figure out how to add the tie-collar part (this pattern also has neck and buttonhole facings). NOTE: I have the older version of this pattern--HotPatterns original instruction style can be cryptic--I don't know if the instructions in newer version are different/clearer. Luckily, I still had Simplicity 2614 on my sewing table. One of the views features a tie-collar--I quickly cut some fabric for the view (of Simplicity 2614) with the necktie. The blouse went together very quickly and very nicely. I should be able to transfer the tie-collar instructions from the Simplicity pattern to the HotPatterns blouse. If I have time this weekend, I'll finish the muslin, and check for alterations.

I'm so happy that I'm experiencing success and progress with these two blouses. My default look at work is a knit t-shirt or blouse. They are better than what is available in ready-to-wear, but I've been feeling that they are too informal. I'm glad that I'm adding woven blouses to my self-sewn wardrobe. It's great--I can go through my stash and identify fabrics that are suitable for these blouses. One issue is that many of my stashed fabrics are informal. Ahh! well, it will be fun to see how I can use them all.

Self-Stitched September

more information about Self-Stitched September. I'm planning on participating in this event--I'm not certain if I can participate in the photo pool, but I know I can manage to wear something self-made.

'I, Rose, sign up as a participant of Self-Stitched-September. I endeavour to wear at least 1 handmade item of clothing every day for the duration of September 2010'.

May Recap

What did I sew during the Merry Month of May?

Six pairs of Marrakesh pants.

1. one in heavy rayon suiting (from Fabrics R Us in San Jose via the stash).
2. one in a slate grey flannel (from the stash from somewhere). I honestly cannot remember how I acquired this fabric. My stash may be reproducing on it's own--it would explain all the lint I find in my apartment.
3. one in a green textured linen (from Elliot Berman, owned less than 2 weeks before cutting!). These are fun, because I used a quilting cotton in a US dollar print for the pockets and waistband lining--I'll always have money in my pockets!
4. one in wild burgundy and cream plaid, with a lime green line (from a Hancock Fabrics store closure, from the stash, and it's at least a year old). And yes, I matched the plaids on all the seams, including the center back seam which matches horizontally, but not vertically (because the plaid is uneven). I love these pants---they remind me of a pair of Perry Ellis plaid pants that I wore when I was in high school. I still have those pants--I'm never going to fit in them again, but just looking at them in my closet makes me smile.
5. one in a reddish-pink cottony/lineny blend. This pair of pants frays whenever I launder it-these pants are not going to last through the summer because the I didn't take the time to finish all the seams. The allowances are topstitched down, but the unfinished edges are going to erode away like a cliffside hit by ocean waves at high tide (from Fabrics R Us, owned less than 1 week before cutting).
6. one embroidered khaki linen/cotton blend (from Happy Stop, owned less than 1 week before cutting). A fun neutral color, but the embroidery makes it a little more special than the plain khaki pants that are all over Silicon Valley.

After sewing six pairs of these pants, I can sew this pattern from memory, including the fly zipper. Sewing the Marrakesh pattern from memory doesn't mean that I didn't make mistakes, but I was able to catch them and fix them before they went too far. Regarding zippers: I watched the Threads/Sandra Betzina video a few times while I was sewing the first two pairs, but last night when I pulled out my pattern for the BWOF 402 pants (I need to have more trousers in my wardrobe rotation), I didn't hesitate to put in the zipper for muslin. I must have been upset when I last tried sewing the 402 pants, as I found the pattern all crumpled up. Luckily, Swedish tracing paper irons very well.

More sewing--Four Sunshine tops:

1. one in purple & white stretch (rayon & lycra?) fabric from Michael Levine Loft (purchased in February 2010.
2. one in a brown tribal cotton lycra (from an online coop, via the stash, at least 1 year old). This may be too informal for work, but it's great to wear on weekends
3. A combination of a black rayon/lycra and a remnant of black/red/white/beige stretch lycra (from Happy Stop, at least 3 years old). Definitely suitable for work.
4. A black and white small/geometric stretch lycra, from a BABES exchange, I think (age unknown). I debated using a solid color for the collar and I elected not to. I think that was not the best decision. The result is a very busy looking shirt. I'll wear it a couple of times before I decide if it's a pass/fail.

I can understand why this pattern is so popular--it's a great/fashionable shirt that got a little more going on than a simple t-shirt--its very flattering. But it's easy to sew.

And I made two other tops:

1 Simplicity 4076 (the simple t-shirt) made from a red and white chain-link patten (from Gorgeous Fabrics from about 4 years ago, via the stash). Definitely suitable for work. I like it because it's bright.

1 Burda 7970 T-shirt, made from a Gustav Klimt cotton lycra from Fabrix (owned less than 2 weeks before cutting). Very suitable--I wore it today. It might be better for Fall/Autumn, but I really like the rich colors.

1 Simplicity 2614. This is a pullover top (made from a woven) and it's custom fit pattern (A-D cups). Another plus is that it doesn't require buttonholes. Laura--thank you bringing this pattern to my attention. I made two muslins, the second one in a clearly defined striped shirting, which didn't seem to work. The back and lower front is cut on the bias (which is why you can pull it on over your head) and the stripes just look awkward. I think that a small scale pattern (floral or checks) will work better. I did pull some fabrics out of the stash for this project, but I got busy with other patterns.

I also have one garment which hasn't quite reached UFO status--one pair of McCall's shorts--I need to re-cut the waistband, and attach that. It's been sitting at my cutting table for 2 weeks.

I also went through part of my fabric and notion stash (I'd get overwhelmed if I went through ALL of it). I pulled out and re-folded some of my knits and stretch fabrics, selecting some for the different t-shirts tops that I planned on sewing (but I didn't get around to sewing ALL of them LOL!). I also went through my stash of interfacing, and I think that I'm set for the next few years, unless someone figures out a way to make garments completely out of interfacing. *smile*

There was a meme travelling around the blogosphere --Me-Made-May*. I followed along, trying to wear clothing that I had made (of course, I didn't take any pictures). I had problems on Fridays--we have casual Fridays at work, and while I have made some jeans, I just don't like the way they fit. So one of my upcoming projects is to make another pair of jeans (or pants from denim), so I have something to wear on Fridays.

*There will be a follow up in the Fall, Self-Stitched September, so maybe I'll try to participate in that.

Memorial Day 2010 - sewing and stash

It's a three day weekend in the United States. Monday is Memorial day, commemorating the men and women who have died in military service. For those who have died, we salute you.

* * *

I've been sewing: I've made 2 Hotpatterns Sunshine tops and 1 pair of Hotpatterns Marrakesh pants. I'm really happy about the Marrakesh I'm getting ready to make another top. It's late, so tonight I'm going to make a knit top, using a TNT. It's too late to start a woven top, using a new pattern.

Yesterday, I also refolded a large part of my fabric stash. it's great--I know what I have it now. I really have a LOT of fabric. It makes me wish that I had a two bedroom apartment, so that I could devote 1 room to sewing and stash storage. I was very bad last weekend. I fell off the wagon and I'm rolling around in yardage.

Last Saturday, I went to Happy Stop in Oakland and I purchased 2 bags of fabric. I hadn't been there for about a year. Simon missed me! I bought some beige embroidered cotton, 2 1/2 yards that I managed to squeeze a pair of the Marrakesh pants (note: I really need at least 2 5/8 of a yard.) I also purchased some ikat style prints wovens (one pink and one turquoise), as well as some quiet rayon plaids, suitable for pants and skirts, or sheath dresses. I have a habit of picking remnants, even at fabric discounters. I'm really glad that I picked up the habit of pre-washing. After my purchasing spree, I went home, sewed the fabric pieces together and drove to my local laundry-mat. I loading 2 front loading washing machines, put in the laundry detergent and synthrapol, loaded my quarters, and I watched the water turn brown in one of the machines. The dye on three of the remnants ran--lucking none of the dye stuck to the other fabrics, but I have some yardage that is looks like a Deadhead caught in the rain. I'm really glad that I pre-wash with synthrapol. The washed out fabrics are probably going to Goodwill. I'm not upset about the remnants that ran--Simon bundled together all the pieces I selected that were less than 2 yards and had given me a special price. If I had paid full retail/britex prices, I would be upset. As it is, I resigned to the fact that I thought that some of the fabrics had a weird finish or hand to them when I folded them in the store. C'est la vie!

A week ago Friday, I went to an estate sale during lunch time--it was less than a mile from work and the craigslist ad mentioned fabric, so I decided to go. It turned out to be the estate of the owners of a Japanese gift shop. I managed to score several Japanese fabric, several yukata/kimono lengths of cotton (they were cotton--I could read the kanji), marked down from $168 to $10 each. The fabric is about 12 inches wide, and was rolled up and wrapped in paper. I think that the previous owners had cats, because I kept sneezing when I picked them up. They were part of the laundromat trip last Saturday--I did fold and sew/baste the fabric lengths before laundering, and then I spent a good few hours ironing them dry and re-rolling them before storing them.

I know that I'm jumping around in my timeline, but after I went to Happy Stop in Oakland, I decided to go to Fabrix in San Francisco. It was a glorious day--the sun was out, it was warm and it was a great day to cross the Bay Bridge. I bought some more fabric, most notably some knit yardage: a grey, black, and white abstract suitable for work clothing, and another printed knit that is reminiscent of Gustav Klimt. And more fabrics, mostly rayon wovens that are suitable for pants.

I hope that everyone enjoys a happy and safe holiday.

HotPatterns 1071 Weekender Sunshine Top

My current project is working with the HotPatterns 1071 Weekender Sunshine top. This top has been reviewed over 25 times on PatternReview--it's considered a winner. I purchased this pattern last summer, but I didn't have time to make it before the weather turned cold. Now the weather is warm and I have a plethora of knits and jerseys, so it's time to sew. I need more summer tops, as the ones that I have made over the past few years have been worn out. We are business casual at work and I want to make certain that I'm not veering to the sloppy side of casual.

The Sunshine Top is a t-shirt variation--there are 5 pattern pieces: front, back, front collar, back collar, and sleeves (there is an optional hem band). It's got a round interfaced collar. Last week I traced the pattern pieces, cut them out and started sewing a wearable muslin (e.g. I used a knit that wouldn't break my heart if I had to throw it away). This is an older pattern and the instructions are not illustrated. The instructions start with assembling the collar pieces, then assembling the bodice then combining the two. It's pretty straightforward, if you can remember to sew right sides together. For some reason I didn't understand them. Frustrated, I decided to search around for someone else's review and I came across Pam Erny's Off the Cuff tutorial on this top. Wow! The instructions were soo much clearer after reading through that tutorial. Thank you, Pam!

I like how the first top turned out--the interfaced collar keeps the top from being too informal. Trudy has videos showing how the pattern variations--part one and part two. I made my first Sunshine top from a cotton interlock (with no appreciable lycra). I made some minor alterations to the pattern so it ill fit me better (a small FBA and adding more fabric to the front piece, to improve the drape). I made another one, this time using fabric that I purchased in at the Michael Levine Loft in Los Angeles. This fabric is a large scale abstract floral knit in shades of purple, lavender, and white. I was very surprised to discover that I don't have any dark purple thread! I did find a spool of lavender thread, which actually is a better match for this fabric, so off I went. I also have some solid color jerseys/knits--I think that the Sunshine top and this pattern will work well together. I think that the solid colors will also be more appropriate for a work environment.

It looks like the Merry Month of May might be HotPatterns month, too. I spent all day today sewing a new pair of Marrakesh pants in a light linen weave--these didn't turnout as well as my last pair--the back has some wrinkles that weren't visible in the other linen pair. Earlier this evening, I traced out the Miss MoneyPenny PussyCat Blouse. I purchased this pattern several years ago--my version has the Glamour Girl sizing. In the blogosphere, there have been several discussions about blouses with scarves or ties. Tomorrow night I'll try making it up in muslin to check the fit. If it works out, I'll make it in a real fabric. I have a collection of woven blouse-weight fabrics that I need to explore and sew down.

Note---regarding the February fabric haul: I'm looking through my pattern stash to find a great fit for the other fabrics I purchased in February. I haven't forgotten about them!

HotPatterns Marrakesh Pants part 2

I've finished two wearable pairs of HotPatterns Marrakesh Pants. I made the second pair from the mystery slate gray flannel. For this pair, I decided not to alter the pattern and trim outside seam at the hip line (and the pockets). I think that they turned out very well--I still have to sew on the hook and eye at the waistband. I'm glad that I removed a quarter inch from the front legs--the pants are still drapey, but they are not billowy. There is still some extra fabric gathered at the waist, but it's not excessive (altering the outside seam would fix that). After writing this post, I've viewed Trudy's Marrakesh Pants video and it looks like there is no extra fabric gathering at the waist. I may need to look at my draft again...

I've lowered the waistline on the pattern for the third pair, which will be made from linen. I consider this linen as the really good stuff from the stash, especially since it usually retails for $12 a yard (I got it on sale for $6 a yard earlier this month. This yardage hasn't aged at all in my stash LOL!). I shouldn't get too worried when cutting this out--I'm familiar with the Marrakesh pattern, since I've sewn it several times. I made the first two pairs from woven fabrics with crosswise stretch. The linen doesn't have any crosswise stretch, but I'll double check the fit of the pattern before cutting, as well as comparing pattern to the second pair of pants.

Fabric prep--I washed the linen the other night, and I've pressed it (with steam) to remove the wrinkles (suggested by Sandra Betzina's Fabric Savvy). I'm glad that I pre-washed the fabric-- the lint catcher in the dryer was filled when I dried this load of fabric yardage. It could have been the linen or it could have been another piece, but I'm glad that I'm not going to encounter that dust when sewing. Right now, I'm letting the fabric rest on the cutting table for two reasons: I don't like to cut fabric late at night (or early in the morning). The second reason is there has been some discussion on sewing blogs/boards that fabric gets stretched when it's tightly wound on bolts, so it should be allowed to relax and contract before it's cut into garments. Even if the fabric relaxed after I laundered it, I may have stretched it when I pressed it. So the fabric is resting, spread over and gently folded on my cutting table, with all the notions assembled and ready to go. I guess that sewist and the fabric should be relaxed before cutting.

I know--I don't have any pictures of my work. I'll try to get some up after the third pair. I'm in awe of those bloggers post with pictures every time!

HotPatterns Wong Singh Jones Marrakesh Pants

After three muslins (made from muslin), I have made one wearable pair of HotPatterns Wong Singh Jones Marrakesh Pants. Yaaaay! Muslin number one was straight from the pattern. I found that I needed to increase the length of the U of my crotch, more on the back pants piece than in the front. I also added some on the sideseam (on the back piece). I made my first wearable pair from a grey fabric pinstriped with silver thread--it has a really nice drape, while it's soft to wear. I can't remember from where I got this: it could have been Fabrix, Fabrics R Us, or Happy Stop.

I'm happy with the final results, but I think that there are more fitting problems issues to fine-tune:

• I think that the front is a little too loose/drapey, so I'm folding out a .25 inch from the front piece, right along the center of the pattern piece.
• The waistline is a hybrid of elastic and drawstring, along with a zipper--I like how Trudy designed this. I've noticed that very easy to gather a lot of fabric on a drawstring, and this excess fabric will create a bulky waistline, but because of this design I think that I can shave about 1 to 1.5 inches from around the waist (from the front and back pants pattern pieces). If I remove this extra fabric, it will help provide better shaping to my waist. I can probably be more aggressive with removing extra fabric around the waist because the zipper will allow me pull the pants around around my hips. I'm debating if I want to keep the inseam pockets because reshaping the waist-to-hip curve means I'll have to check pockets, too. Many of the other sewists who have made this pattern eliminated the pockets completely. Decisions, decisions.

My next fabric will be a mystery slate grey piece that I pulled out of my stash. I was going to use a striped piece of black rayon (I think that it's rayon) that I purchased from Fabrix. Last night I pulled it out of my stash, removed the machine basting (I sew the ends of my fabric together when I prewash, then store the fabric with the basting. That way, I know that I washed it) and then I laid it out on my cutting table so that I could work on it when I got home. Then I realized that I was going to be altering and tweaking the fit again, and I thought about the strong stripes, so I went digging though my fabric stash again. I found the mystery slate grey piece along with some really colorful (and even) plaid pieces (that I know that I purchased from Fabrix). The plaids are currently in the wash with some recently acquired linen (which I will be labeling with their origin after the are removed from the dryer).

Catching up

I have been remiss in updating my blog. If you have been following my blog, thank you for your patience! It's been well over a month since I've made an entry. I've been busy though. Since my last post, I've:

• rehearsed and performed with a troupe at a dance festival (which also included creating and finishing my costume),
• helped a co-worker go fabric shopping with his visiting sisters,
• started working with a new manager at work (this a good thing),
• attended a work related conference,
• had a honeybee swarm invade my patio (if this happens to you, call a beekeeper and they can take care of it),
• had a U-pipe develop crack in my bathroom (thank goodness for two things: 1) I have a responsive landlady and 2) the damaged pipe drains water so I wasn't dealing with water pouring into my bathroom).

After I discovered the cracked U-pipe, I spent half the night re-arranging the sewing materials so that there would be room for the plumbers get around (my apartment looks like a ill-kempt fabric warehouse). But onward to sewing related things.

I've acquired more fabric under very sad circumstances. Last weekend, La Fred had a liquidation sale. Fred Bloembaum, the owner and creator was not there--she is very ill and her friends were running the sale. It was really two sales: one part were the sample clothes that Fred had made to demonstrate the patterns that she designs (it was advertised in Craigslist as Art to Wear). The other part of the sale was the dispersal of her sewing collection: her sewing books, patterns from her personal collection (e.g. Vogue, Butterick, etc), and her fabric and notions. I got to the sale in the late afternoon and by then the items were being discounted. I bought fabric (in great colors--coral and tangerine), sewing books, notions (needles, rotary blades, and petersham), patterns (mostly vogues and neue modes). It was very interesting to see her clothing merchandise and her sewing collection together in one room: it was a unique (if incomplete) view of the creative cycle. Fred is very artistic and creative in combining colors and textures--hopefully I can learn from her through her materials. In some ways, I'm very conservative when selecting/combining fabrics-- I was able to purchase some books that illustrate the different things: I'm enjoying reading "Modern Fashion in Detail" by Claire Wilcox and Valerie Mendes, which contains super close-up pictures of the clothing at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It's a great book to browse through. I'm still trying to find a place for my acquisitions.

I spent some time talking with Fred's friends. I did meet Fred at the Artistry in Fashion event, but I had not taken a workshop with her. Her friend and neighbor Mary told me that Fred is reading the messages sent to her at the CarePages (look for the group named FredFans) and she is touched and nicely overwhelmed by messages left by all people remember her from her workshops.

I have been sewing. I got tired of wearing the same clothing and I made 3 t-shirts from tried and true patterns: Simplicity 4076 and Burda 7970. I did use two fabrics from my LA trip, but they were not fabrics shown in previous post. One of the fabric was a remnant of a black and grey border print knit, the other is a orange/yellow/blue tie-dye mesh that a friend bought for me because I kept flirting bargaining with the store owner and his dad and she wanted to get out of there. I used a border knit print for the third shirt from my stash (purchased from Fabrix in SF). I also made some tea-cozies as gifts for my friends.

My next project is the Hot Patterns Marrakesh pants. I traced out the pattern over the weekend , read through a number of pattern reviews, and I actually cut out the fabric in muslin. I didn't compare the tracing to my previous pants draft, and I altered the tracing and made another muslin. Oh well, muslins are for learning--and I did figure out how the different pieces are assembled so it was a good time investment. I have altered my tracing for my curvy booty (lengthening the crotch after consulting Pants for Real People), pin fit the tracing paper. I feel comfortable that my next step is to cut out the pattern in real fashion fabric--one of the many pieces of inexpensive pieces of yardage that I have in my apartment. It this one works, then I'll use the good stuff.

Weekend Project

I'm sewing again! Unfortunately, it's not the princess seamed jacket, nor am I working with any of the luscious knits that I showed in my last post. I'm working on a costume. Last night, I spent time clearing off my cutting table, cutting out the pattern, and de-linting my sewing machine. I'm performing with some friends at a festival in two weeks, and I realized that I had better work on my costume and make certain every costume piece fits instead of just talking about it. I have all the piece: fabric, interfacing, thread needles. I just need to get going and put it all together. The Olympics interrupt my sewing time, and I realize that I get more done when I have music playing (or the radio). The TV is too much of a distraction.

My character is a North African/Mediterranean housewife, so she needs a loose fitting robe (which will be worn over another part of the costume). I bought a very lightweight striped polyester woven last week from Michael Levine from their sales area ($1 a yard). I think that it might have originally been meant for curtains. I'm using Simplicity 4048, which features a squared yoke and gathered skirt pieces. I cut out the fabric pieces this afternoon after my dance class and I started assembling it. It's going together very quickly which is very nice. I hope to have it finished by rehearsal tomorrow afternoon. I'll try to post some pictures before the weekend is over.

Fabric P*rn Trophies!

I have not done any significant sewing in the past few days. I fixed a hook and eye, and snipped some loose threads from previous projects (while on the way to work, natch!). I thought I would share some of the fabrics I purchased at the Los Angeles Fashion District. These items came from Michael Levine's Loft. At the loft, fabric is sold by the pound ($2).

I tend to sew a lot of knits. I already have a sizable collection of florals and black and white knits, so I try to avoid purchasing purchasing more. In face of a bargain, however, I will change my mind. Most of these knits have two-way stretch (more crosswise stretch than length) and are about 54 or 60 inches wide in four yard lengths. I'm planning to make mostly dresses from the fabrics. No, I don't have any patterns in mind.

My first fabric on display is a black, pink, orange starburst geometric pattern with a border print. I love the colors of the prism as well as the challenge of sewing with the large scale squares.

I also discovered that many of the fabrics literally had my name on it.

Next up is a combination of my two of my favorite things: animal prints and the color purple! Purple swirls and dark grey leopard print.

It also had my name on it! The color looks a little more blue, but I had to turn off the flash, so that the label wouldn't get washed out.

Next up is a large scale turquoise and purple petal design. This also had my name on it, but I didn't get the label. It's not really clear from this pic, but the left side of the fabric has a black border.

Next up is a firework print, with a white base and a black, red, pink, & orange. The fabric, like the petal one above is also asymmetrical.

And it also had my name on it.

Up next is a combination of a floral and geometric--with a brown and turquoise base, plus different shades of blue and green.

And it did have my name on it. Again. :)

Last in this set is a black white and blue floral, in kind of a comic book type of print because of the pixels

And yes it did my my name on it. I didn't by EVERYTHING with the name "rose' on it, but most of the fabrics I got from the loft, did have my name on it. Weird coincidence, huh?

While trying to show these fabrics in a good light, I have developed a new respect for anyone who has a webshop and who photographs fabric. It's difficult lay out the fabric so that it looks good.

I'm not certain if I'm sewing tonight

A small plane crashed this morning. Sadly the three passengers on the plane died. Luckily, while the plane hit a house and some pick up trucks, no one on the ground was killed. Sadly, the plane hit some power lines and knocked out the power in all ofver town. I'm staying a bit late at work, but I'm not certain if or when the the power will be back. My thoughts are with the family and friends of the people who died in the accident.

Yikes! Los Angeles Fashion District (part 1?)

I got home late last night from Long Beach and Los Angeles. This morning I slept late, and am enjoying a leisurely morning before going into work in the early afternoon. My original plans were to go shopping solo in the Los Angeles Fashion District, but luckily, a friend with a good eye for color was able to join me and help with finding parking and fabric enabling (well, I can't blame it all on her).

I think that I may have a bit of a fabric addiction. I did want to return from the trip with a trunk full of fabric and I succeeded beyond my wildest expectations (which is kinda scary). I can't tell you how much yardage because I went to Michael Levine's loft and bought fabric by the pound (let's just say that if I was flying, I would have had to pay extra for luggage). I highly recommend the Loft, as well as the regular store. After placing the purchases in my car, we met up with some more friends, had a late lunch and bought more fabric from other stores along 9th street. By the time we left at 4:30, my car trunk was full. I'll try share more detailed pictures later this week (I bought some great large scale border prints), but here is an immediate picture of the aftermath. It's mostly knits, with a split between fabric for work clothing and fabric for dance, fitness, and dressing up for dance events.

now sewing for a while

No sewing for this weekend--I'm in Long Beach for a festival. And then I'm fabric shopping on Monday in Los Angeles.

My New Project

My first new project for 2010 is from the January 2010 Burda Style magazine. It's the pattern 105, which happens to be the sewing lesson for this issue. It will be fun to work with all those instructions.

I need a nice sweatsuit type jacket to wear to and from the gym, dance class, etc. When I saw this pattern, it I thought this would be a nice option. I pulled from the stash, some black stretchy fleece which reminds me of the Polartec Power stretch fleece from Malden mills (but at the price I purchased it, I know it's not from Massachusetts). I have to scale up the sizes--this pattern ends tops out at size 44, but I figure that all the princess seams (there are princess seams in the back, too) allow a lot of fitting opportunities. Also the pattern doesn't call for a stretch fabric.

It's difficult to tell from the technical drawing, but this pattern features decorative zippers, so I get to use the riri zippers that I have in my stash. This will either be fun or a big headache, but I do want something nice and different to wear.

I'm glad that I got the cutting table at the post-Christmas sale at J's--It's so much easier to trace patterns standing up, and not on my hands and knees. The cutting table is higher than a standard table, so I don't have to bend over as much. I traced the pattern and tissue fit the swedish tracing paper. As expected, I have to make some size adjustments. I'm not certain how well this jacket will actually fit. I want the jacket to curve in where I curve and curve out where I curve out. Right now, I can't tell what's going on. I should cut out the muslin tonight so I can baste and sew tomorrow night. I'm going to muslin this, as there I'm making a number of fitting alterations and if this works out, I plan on using another piece of stash fabric for another jacket.