Some fixings and Continuings

Wednesday night was Darrin's scout meeting.  He had an earlier patrol meeting and with Kevin out of town for the week, that means I'm it for unlocking the doors, etc.  I decided that I'd had enough of social media and app garbage to pass time during these events, so I grabbed my hexie box to see if I could finish up some of the 3-piece hexie background sections.  I finished up 7 last night, and this morning after walking with Darrin to his stop and before the treadmill trot, I finished up the last three.  The only parts to the background I have left are two larger end sections for my 8th row.  I am so close!



I am glad to have this grab and go project, but my 48yo eyes aren't what they used to be.  I haven't looked around, but are there battery powered portable lights that are easily packable for a grab and go project?  At home I use my Ikea Jansjo light for home use... I guess I could always pack a headlamp--which would make sense for a scout meeting and all :)

I was able to also fix my sleeve for my reindeer shirt.  It isn't an exact match with the other sleeve, but much better than the first attempt.  Also noted... I did my sleeve backwards.  It isn't one of those "cut on the fold" sleeves and I thought I picked the front correctly.  Nope.  It still fits fine, but since I did a large bust adjustment, I think it is slightly off.  oh well and sigh.  Aligning the sleeve with the armscye, it matched up however.  I haven't checked to see how close it is on each side, but it still worked even though it was backwards.



I am not completely finished with Clue 3 of the mystery yet, but I'm getting there.  Today I was going to finish it up, but got distracted with my hexies and some other things I needed to get done.  I am looking forward to seeing what Clue 4 has in store!

I'm so ready for the hubby to be home tomorrow.  Business travel isn't so bad now that the boys are both older (those earlier years were tough!), but I still sure miss him and our daily/weekly routine together. 

Mystery Clue 2 and Holiday Sewing

Tada!


Sunday I finished my Clue two for Good Fortune.  I now have five days to clip off the dog ears.  Before I began this clue, I had to hem a shirt I had made earlier in the weekend.  Changing out the bobbin, I believe I won this round of "bobbin thread chicken"!  A little more than an inch was left from my last sewing!


I really enjoy using my Easy Angle ruler. I have tried every HST method, and it actually surprises me that this is my preferred method. I learned how to use it when I went to my first Bonnie retreat in 2017 and I've been hooked ever since. It really opens up not having to deal with that extra 3/8" and I can use 2.5" pre-cut strips that I have on hand.


A couple of miles of HTS's behind my machine :)


Monday Link-Up:  https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2018/12/mystery-monday-link-up-part-2.html

This is what I sewed on Friday, and it took until Sunday to finish hemming.  I really tried with this pattern.  It was my first go with it, and a patterned striped knit to boot... uffda.  I thought I had the side seams aligned (nope) and I thought that I had the sleeves on the correct stripe (nope).  For the sleeves, I was paying attention to the red stripe pattern and not the reindeer/snowflake changes.

...and then! I was attempting to try out my serger for a blind hem stitch and mucked up the edging on a sleeve.  I need to invest in a coverstitch in 2019.  OTHER THAN USER ERROR: I love the pattern and it truly is an easy sew!  I did the scoop neck, 3/4 sleeve version first along with the full-bust pattern and it is just right.  When I originally purchased the pattern, I was 45lbs heavier and my measurements were at the top end.  Today it fits just right.  I think I may cut some of my black DBP knit and make a simple black tee.  I don't know why I jumped right in with the patterned version first (I think I found this fabric on sale a couple of years ago).  The sleeve cuff ends bug me, but I don't think it's any worse than RTW clothing available to buy.

You can find the $5 pattern here:  Classic Tee

New Clothing Finishes

I don't have a lot to report on the quilting front (or, I think I forget where I am putting my in-progress pics!), but I wanted to post three recent apparel finishes.  Well, except I still need to hem my patriotic top....

First is Rhapsody by Love Notions.  This top fits well and is meant for light wovens.  Because I didn't want to use quilting cottons (woven that I have on hand), I decided to pick a more flowy knit (an ITY which was a little slippery).  I like the fit, but I prefer longer sleeves.


Next is Mama Blair by Made for Mermaids.  This is one of my favorite patterns, this is one of three that I currently go to.  The blue fabric doesn't have a lot of stretch, but it will be good for the 4th of July.


Today I made the Park City Pullover from Peek-a-Boo  I slayed the zipper like an advanced beginner! :)  Actually, it wasn't too hard but the pictures in the pattern aren't easy to see in order for me to figure out what they were wanting.  Thankfully I have experience with zippers with bags, so I understood the process when it seems like everything is backwards.  The rest of the pullover was easy!  This one fits Kevin well, but I am going to upsize the sleeves a little for him.  What I am looking forward to is trying this pattern in a waffle knit like LL Bean's tops.  I'm thinking Christmas might be good to Kev this year!  Now if I could just get a little more brave and try out button down shirts.


I may even make myself one!

I need to make a retreat post about the last two retreats I went on (one in May and the other this past weekend).  Perhaps in the next couple of days.

Apparel Sewing

I am having fun using my serger and trying out different clothing patterns.  I love just about anything from Patterns for Pirates or Made for Mermaids, and there are a few from craftsy that I have purchased but haven't tried yet.  This morning after reading about Judy D's new overlock machine, and then following over Judy L's page (this was the post that made me purchase the following pattern...), I decided to take the plunge and buy the Laundry Day Tee.  As you can see by all the links, there is a lot of enabling going on--even if Judy L didn't know it :) If I were being honest, I would say that Judy D is the reason I decided to get back into sewing clothing again (and being tired of being disappointed with retail fit not fitting right--along with short-short sleeves).

Over the last month I have sewn up several Mama Blair tops, three SOS knit pants (trying to get the fit I want with the straight leg version) and now a Laundry Day Tee.  I have purchased several tee patterns from PFP, but haven't made them up yet.  I hesitated buying the laundry day one because they seem so similar.

My response??  I LOVE this top!  I started off with tunic length, but that doesn't look good for my body (maybe when I am skinny).  After sewing it up, I cut it down to the shirt length--which is what I am used to in a "tunic" size (that can be so subjective).  It was a quick and easy sew, from point of purchase to being finished, it only took me about 2-3 hours at the most.

Our upstairs has the only full length mirror.  I really need to clean it!  With two boys at home, who knows what's on it!


The fabric from fabric.com's site without the yellowness that our upstairs has.  The fabric is called Bolt By Girl Charlee Pure Vintage jersey knit feathers, it's a nice cotton jersey.

Over the next couple of weeks I need to go through my closet and do an honest purge.  Some things I am not going to fit into and others I won't want to wear if I did fit back into them.  I believe I have had a fear of not having clothes for if I did lose weight, so I hold on to them.  It's time to let go and be happy I can achieve good fits on my own (now if Kohls would have boot cut yoga pants from Sonoma back on their racks, I would buy many pairs... I love that fit).

That Crazy Fabric

I unearthed the fabric I was looking for yesterday that I was considering first for the tee....


Am I right?  It's crazy 70's! Maybe even late 60's.  I am pretty positive it's polyester, not rayon but silky-ish.  It's by Hi-Fashion Fabrics, about 2.5yds, likely a Joann's purchase I had to wait over during her many trips (I HATED going to the fabric store as a kid... funny now).  I'm sure Mom was going to make a blouse with this.... perhaps I can make a shirt and a cape to go with it and go as a magician for Halloween?

So, if you had a fabric like this, what would you do with it?

A Little Sewing

Ok... I hate taking my picture.  Especially since all the loss I had in the the weight department found its way back.  I'm a work in progress, no doubt about it.  But I am not posting about that (you are all saying thank you, I know!!).

I went to a retreat in September and one of the quilters was working on a shirt pattern called Simple Elegant Tee.  I love how it looked, and her choice of fabric was a rayon batik which hung really nicely.  I ordered the pattern a few weeks ago but last night I finally decided to dive in.

It has a kimono, cap, and dolman sleeve.  For the pattern I cut for a dolman because I like longer sleeves.  I may play around a bit with this in the future.  For the fabric, I really considered using this funky fabric (very 70's) that I saved from my mom's stash.  It is a psychedelic print that reminds me of the Johnny Depp version of Alice in Wonderland.  It's bizarre to say the least.  The fabric is somewhere in my closet, but I couldn't find it.  Instead I found a jersey print that I bought years ago with the intention to use as a maxi skirt.  Since I'm not in love with the fabric, I felt this would be a good first attempt at the pattern.

The pattern was very easy to follow and I finished it up fairly quickly this morning after cutting for it last night.  The only problem I had was that I attempted a rolled hem for the bottom of the shirt and it ended up too ruffled.  I cut it off and followed the directions from the pattern :)






That could be my before (once again) picture. sigh.  Anyway!  I did french seams, but I found it to be bulky at the ends so next time I would probably pull out my other machine and run a zig zag stitch.  I would have liked it a little longer--if only followed the directions to begin with, it would have been.  And I see I pushed the sleeves up a bit.  I would never make it as a model.