Thoughts while hemming...

I don't know about you but my mind wanders when I have a lot of hand hemming to do to finish a garment. True Confession:  I use to hate the hemming and finishing bits of a garment because they took so long and I just wanted to wear the garment.  Now, I realize that a bad finishing can ruin a garment so I try to take as much care with it as I do the rest of a garment. So my hemming/finishing can take hours to complete before a garment is ready to be photographed and worn out in public.

Even though, I've learned to appreciate the hemming process and to respect it...it does take quite a bit of time, so here are some of my thoughts...

I've become addicted to Pinterest because I can find loads of boards showing the work clothes that I need in both designer and RTW.  Like this...

• Why aren't there more sewing blogs with women wearing a more professional wardrobe? Does anyone know?  Or am I just missing them?
• Recently I've changed the needles I use to hem with to a slimmer lighter model.  I don't think it's changed my hemming abilities much.
• A recent comment on a post about changing your serger thread made me wonder, don't other sewists buy sewing supplies in bulk and on sale?  Am I the only one that treats my sewing supplies like food stocks and purchase them in bulk?  To me eating is on the same level is sewing! *LOL*
• It's the time of the year I love...winter has finally left, spring is awakening and bringing loads of sunshine and warm breezes.  However, it always affects my sewing.  I'm either overstimulated with two many ideas to sew or I'm lethargic waiting for inspiration to strike.  This year I'm definitely lethargic!
• My social media imprint reads one sided ~ it's all about sewing and my grandchildren ~ like there's nothing more to me ~ but it is deliberate.
• Speaking of social media ~ I prefer Instagram to Facebook.  I think its cause I can flip through the pictures and see what I need to see but Facebook takes so much time, at least to me.  The only thing I check Facebook for is every Wednesday I go to the Scandal page to see the sneak peek for Thursday's show...yeah I'm religious about that! *LOL*
• True Confession:  The reason my fabric collection is so big is because I'm always worried the bottom is going to fall out.  In times of financial challenges in the past, my fabric collection and sewing machines kept me going.
• I hate having to leave my sewing room after the weekend.  Honestly, I'm happiest here.  The next logical question is what does that say about me?  Honestly, I don't care! *LOL*
• I will be 55 soon.  That means I've been sewing for 44 years.  I've owned a sewing machine since I was 11.  I even had one in my college dorm room and it's had a place of honor in every place I've lived.  I think I like to sew!

...as always more later!

Sunday in the sewing cave...

Four days on antibiotics and I still don't feel like myself.  I spent yesterday catching up on things around the house that culminated with a trip to Home Depot.  Taking care of a house is a lot of work.  I understand why I lived in an apartment for so long!  Somethings not working you call the Super. Something not working in the house, find someone to fix it...and a lot of trips to Home Depot or Lowes.  Thank goodness I live in a condo with an association so someone else handles all of the outside responsibilities!

That leads me to this...

The only sewing I've done in two weeks.  This is the pantry in the kitchen.  It use to have a folding door on it. It fell off.  We tried everything to get it back on.  It kept falling off.  The tension rod and curtain is the solution. 

...and of course since I've been sick I haven't felt much like sewing...even with spending some considerable time in the sewing cave yesterday.  Finally this morning, I decided that I should work on this dress. I pinned it to Pinterest 9 weeks ago.

Lace  Yoke Short Dress by Ann Taylor

In that time I've managed to collect a black 'n white lace ponte from Fabric Mart (which is of course sold out) and a Sophia black double knit from fabric.com.

I will use the pattern alterations that I made to my TNT dress pattern for the black pleather and ponte dress for this version. I'll just add short sleeves.

I love this black pleather and ponte dress.  It's easy to wear and I feel very professional in it.  I'm making a ponte dress now because while the temps are rising, there is still a very up and down feel to the weather, so a ponte dress will work for a few more months.

Like I said a post or two back - I have another idea for the Oona Fat Quarter Challenge but I need to get a win under my belt before I go there again.  I also need to get the Deer & Doe Plaintain tees made up for my coworkers. Actually I thought about working on them today but again, I need a win before working on something that could shut down my fledgling mojo.

So this is what I'm working on today, in the sewing cave, while the NBA Quarterfinals play on the TV.

...as always more later!

Workroom Social's Manhattan Pop-up Studio, May 2-4

I don't know if you've heard but Jennifer who runs Workroom Social is holding an amazing sewing workshop next weekend May 2-4th in Manhattan!

There will be classes by some of our favorite bloggers.

FASHION SEWING WORKSHOPS

sew your own leggings with fleur hoare

In our Sew Your Own Leggings workshop, learn the skills you need to sew a custom pair of leggings just for you! Patternmaker, seamstress, and sewing instructor Fleur Hoare will teach you about the basic shapes of leggings and the specific steps needed to create a well-made pair at home.

Saturday, May 3
12:30-2:30 p.m.
Only 6 seats available. Sign up now!

sew your own jersey skirt with sonja of ginger makes

In our Sew Your Own Jersey Skirt workshop, learn the skills you need to sew a custom stretchy knit skirt just for you! Sewing blogger Sonja of Ginger Makes will teach you how to make those comfy jersey skirts that every woman loves to wear. Maxi or mini, you can tailor your project to fit the way you want!

Saturday, May 3
3:00-5:00 p.m.
Only 6 seats available. Sign up now!

sew a slouchy dolman sleeve top with oona of oonaballoona from kalkatroona

In our Sew a Slouchy Dolman Sleeve Top workshop, learn the skills you need to sew a custom stretchy knit top just for you! Sewing blogger Oona of Oonaballoona from Kalkatroona will teach you how to make those comfy, slouchy tops that look great on every shape and size.

Saturday, May 3
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Only 6 seats available. Sign up now!

More information about the weekend can be found here!

Finally, there will be a Sewing Swap Meet & Party on Saturday, May 3rd at 8pm. Come meet and mingle with other sewing and fabric fanatics.  Bring fabric, sewing patterns, notions or other sewing items to swap with new friends. Proceeds from the party will go to Rational Animal, a non-profit that helps at risk animals in the NYC area by sewing and distributing animal beds to local shelters.  You can RSVP here.  Come out and join us, yes us, I will be there and looking forward to hanging out with like-minded sewing fanatics.

I really hope if you're in the NYC area that you'll come by and either take a class or attend the party.  It will be a fun time with other like minded sewists. See you there!

...as always more later!

OFQC: Pattern Alterations & Update

I started working on the first dress and I'm going to be frank and upfront, the dress front sucks.  Seriously sucks.  So much so that I'm doubting my ability to sew. This is part of the reason that I believe my sewing mojo has flown because I can't believe such fugliness came out of my sewing machine...*sigh*

First the pattern alterations ~
I copied a new full front dress pattern from my TNT pattern onto pattern paper. Then I decided where I wanted the inserts to go. I deviated from my sketch a bit when I chose to make a v-neckline insert.

Next I auditioned my fat quarter inserts...

After much deliberation, I decided upon this combination...

...and once I sewed the front together I just stopped.  It's fugly.  Even my daughter said it was fugly.  So now I'm left to wonder if...

+ + + + +

I wrote this post over a week ago and I couldn't bring myself to post it because I was so discouraged by my first attempt with my fat quarters. Honestly, I almost threw in the towel, and no I'm not sharing the fugliness with you.  Just don't want that picture floating about on the internet. However, in my internet travels this week, I found another idea so I will be trying that out this weekend.

The good thing is that the deadline has been moved to May 20th, I think?! Ladies please correct me if I'm wrong...so I have a few more weekends to get this made up...which is a very good thing!

It's the end of April and I've sewn one very easy skirt this month.  I usually have one month out of every year like this but I don't remember it occurring this early in the year before!  I've also had a very busy work month...caught the cold from hell...you know you're sick when your coworkers start telling you to go home...and it's been a big family month.  So I'm actually looking forward to a weekend of uninterrupted sewing time in the cave.

Usually the lost mojo freaks me out but this time I've actually been pretty calm about it.  Probably because I've crafted an amazing work wardrobe so I very rarely experience that "what am I going to wear moment" in front of the closet.  I hope I don't sound conceited when I say this but it actually makes me feel kinda proud that I've stayed the course, developed my own work style and sewed it.

Just wanted to give you an update.  I know I've been scarce around these parts lately...hopefully spending 48 hours in the sewing cave will bring new sewing adventures to share!

...as always more later!

Resurrection

I'm gonna be honest...there will be very little sewing in this post.  I think I'm writing it for me because it's the way I'm feeling right now.  It's just a bunch of thoughts that's been running through my mind this week...only some of it is sewing-related and I've gone back and forth over whether or not I would write this post but if I'm true to myself then here it is...

I love spring.  I love the rebirth and how everything is new again.  Which brings me to the fact that Easter or Resurrection Sunday is one of my favorite holidays. In my family, Resurrection Weekend (Good Friday to Easter Sunday) is all about Jesus and family.  Good Friday all of the grand kids and nieces and nephews gather at my home to dye Easter Eggs, eat pizza and hang out. Even my grown daughters show up since the Easter Egg dyeing has become a family tradition...so the kids are from 26 to our youngest Sammy who will be three months old at the end of the month. Loads of eggs were boiled, dyed, initialed and exclaimed over! Bags of chocolately goodness are made and distributed and the kids spend time with each other.

Gratuitous Grandbaby Picture!

The family then decamps to Good Friday service.  Saturday is a quiet reflective day before we all meet up again for Resurrection Sunday Service and the family dinner afterwards which will be at my Sister's house this year.  In the last couple of years, we've all been going to church with my Mother, the Matriarch of our family, to celebrate...so that's where I will be tomorrow with one of my daughters, my grandchildren, my Sister and nieces and nephews.

Okay a lot of you do this...so the thoughts I mentioned above?  Here goes...

One of my favorite women in the Bible is Dorcas or (Tabitha in the Hebrew). Have you ever heard of Dorcas?  As the Bible Gateway states it, she is the Woman whose Dressmaking made her famous.  See, Dorcas died and when she died, the widows in her hometown wept and showed the Apostle Peter the coats and garments that she'd made for them.  There is more to The Scriptures but what drew and continues to draw me to Dorcas is that she sewed for others and was well known for that talent/gift.

Now I don't sew for others but I truly hope that my love of sewing and my encouragement for others to learn and revel in their sewing talent is the gift that's taken away by anyone who reads my blog. 

With that I'm seguing into how thrilled I am by the young women who make up the Curvy Sewing Collective and how they're working with Sarai of Collette Patterns and having the first plus size blog tour of the new knit Collette Patterns.  I guess as humans sometimes our first question can be why wasn't I included in the blog tour? If you're honest, you know as a blogger you've asked yourself that question a time or two. 

But in this instance, that wasn't my question. And this may be conceited of me but my first thought was pride...pride like a mother hen that the ones coming behind me were taking blogging for the plus size woman who sews to the next level. I truly hope you will support all of these women...the tour begins on Jenny's blog, Cashmerette.  The rest of the tour with links are in this post.

I have NO sewing mojo...absolutely no mojo at all! I've spent this time off spoiling my grandchildren, giving my daughter a much deserved rest, three little kids five and under is a lot of work. And I've been watching television. ALOT of television...*LOL*!  The other thing about it being such a Christian weekend is that there are quite a few Christian themed movies on and as a child of the 60's these are some of my favorites.  Older movies, like "King of Kings," "The Greatest Story Ever Told," "The Robe," "Easter Parade" have all been watched...some as DVDs and some OnDemand.  Of course, we are popping popcorn and gathering around the television tonight to watch Cecil B. DeMille's classic, "The Ten Commandments" with the babies. I love when Moses parts the Red Seas!

There were some other Christian-themed movies like "The Fighting Temptations" (which I don't think a lot of people actually saw in the movie theater) but I love the Jesus songs in this movie. This song has been resonating in my soul so I'm leaving the YouTube video of it here...

One more thing...Mardel's post on Forgiveness, on her blog Restingmotion, also really resonated with me, so here is a link to it. I hope you'll surf over and read her thoughts on forgiveness, they are perfect for this season!

If you are a Christian who celebrates Resurrection Sunday/Easter...or Jewish and recently celebrated Passover...or spiritual and just believe in the rebirth of spring and the earth...I'm wishing you love, joy and peace during this time of spiritual rebirth.  

To quote Kirk Franklin..."I sing because I'm happy. I sing because I'm free. His eye is on the sparrow that's the reason why I sing! Glory Hallelujah!!! I give the Praises to you!  You're the reason why I sing!" 

Happy Resurrection Sunday!!!!

Don't know when I'll be back with sewing posts but I'm sure it will be sooner rather than later...cause that's my God given talent!

...as always more later!

Saturday Morning Diary Bits ~ April 2014

First I made it through!  I knew I was reaching the end because I've started to think of sewing again...always a good thing!

Second ~ spring is coming as evidenced by the trees in my complex which are budding.  I've exhaled because the cold and the snow are definitely in my rear view window and I can now look forward to warm breezes, sunny days, a lot of green scenery and wearing a dress, skirt or maxidress for months and months! To say I'm thrilled is an understatement!

I am in the sewing cave right now...putting winter fabrics back onto the shelves and new patterns away that were purchased during the last Club BMV sale.

Vogue 9010, Vogue 8995, Vogue 8992, Vogue 9014

Speaking of patterns - the spring McCall's Patterns showed up online this week. I've pretty much stopped doing reviews on the collections but the plus size patterns in this collection are soooooooo fugly that McCalls needs to be called out on this!

McCalls 6970 - seriously a belt is not going to help this fugliness.

There is nuthin' stylish, cute or trendy about this outfit!  It just

says bathe me in fabric because I've given up!

McCalls 6971 - Why? I'm totally befuddled by this bigass

top with a tie in the middle and those highwater pants? 

Oops those are supposed to be cropped pants?  Huh????

...and the accompanying "dress" because no one

I know would be caught dead outside the house in

this hospital gown! All it needs is some ties in the back!

Lay on the ground, make a snow angel and have someone

trace you...then use a quilting cotton...a fugly quilting

batik cotton to make a top. Yeah that's McCalls 6292.

If these were the only patterns available to me as a plus size woman, I would be arrested in the street for appearing nekkid because I wouldn't wear this crap! Truly McCalls should have left these on the drawing board...*sigh*

Which is really interesting because I do want to purchase a pattern...McCalls 6969...I really want a jumpsuit. Let's be clear here, a jumpsuit...NOT the romper that's also included in this pattern!

Now truly I should know better because I've worn this style before...back in high school...and you know that rule about if you've worn it during it's first incarnation you really shouldn't wear it when it comes round again...but I wanna go there...yeah I really want to go there! I mean I wear platform pumps! *LOL*

Which brings me to Jenny of Cashmerette and Mary of Idle Fancy who have joined forces with six other plus size bloggers to form the Curvy Sewing Collective.  This is such an awesome idea and it features six amazing sewists who revel in their body type and sew beautiful clothing. Hopefully you will follow their sewing adventures because I know I will be!

Next up is the pattern alterations for the OFCG Challenge but I have to tell you that I want to sew something from each of the new Vogue patterns using fabric from the collection. Actually I want to sew from quite a few of the new patterns that have accumulated in the sewing cave in the last couple of months.  So that is my goal for the upcoming months - use as many of my new patterns as I can and to use my TNTs sparingly.  Now this should be interesting!

Well the sewing cave is calling...

...as always more later!

OFQC: Prepping the Fabrics

I knew the minute I touched my fat quarters that I would be making dresses with them. One ~ some days it does feel like spring will eventually arrive and my pants get shelved during nicer weather. Two ~ I agreed to make wearable garments - that means dresses in my book.

After sketching out my ideas and pulling fabrics, I knew that I would have to add additional steps to prep my fabrics. I'm using linen as my base fabrics and I machine wash my linen dresses. So to pretreat linen I usually wash and dry it two or three times. That left me making a decision about the cotton fat quarter inserts. Now I know most quilters do not pretreat the quarters before making their quilts, but I would need to do so. I didn't want to deal with the possibility of the cotton shrinking and the linen barely doing so. Because of that everything ended up in the washing machine with two Shout color catchers.

Recently I'd bought a box of the color catchers after a reader recognized a ponte I'd bought from Fabric Mart and she left a comment saying that her piece had run in the washer. I still haven't pretreated that piece but I knew that the dye in the deep red linen would run and I didn't want it ruining the fat quarters I washed with it.

That was the first challenge.  The next was to stabilize the fat quarters.  After taking them out of the dryer, I stabilized the back of each one with some lightweight fusible interfacing. I wanted the two fabrics (the linen and the cotton fat quarters) to be about the same weight. Now to be completely honest here, all of this pretreatment shrunk my fat quarters. This won't affect the way that I use them, but I don't know if it affects the rules. I don't think it should but you nevah know with those margarita challenges! *LOL*

Finally, here is a picture of the quick sketch I made to use for the basis of the red dress.

Originally I was going to make a skirt for the second piece but I've decided upon another dress...no sketch for this one. I'm walking around with the idea burned into my creative mind. Next up will be the pattern alterations for the Red OFCG dress.

...as always more later!

Sewing Machine Maintenance ~ Do you or don't you?

I think most sewists know the basics of sewing machine maintenance - changing your needles often, keeping your tension disks free of lint and thread, checking your bobbin casing and adding oil if your machine requires it AND if your machine requires it oiling it on the regular.

But do you do that?

One thing I've learned now that I'm sewing & serging with top of the line machines, is that I need to stay on top of my maintenance.  Which means removing plates on my sewing machine that I never did on the others, making sure that I change needles and insert them correctly or don't use a blunt one, removing lint with a tweezer and make-up brushes...never using canned air on them.  Even constantly wiping them down to remove the inevitable dust.

But do you do this?

When I was younger - read less experienced - I cut corners.  I had limited funds so I would use a needle until it broke.  I removed the bobbin case only under extreme duress.  I was so afraid that I'd never get it back in and then what would I sew on?  I rarely played with the tension on my sewing machine - Gawd forbid that I couldn't get a straight stitch again!  And I used canned air on my machines like it was adding gas to my car...*sigh* I'm surprised that my machines didn't quit on me earlier than they did!

So how about you?  

Are you crazed about your sewing machine and serger maintenance?  Do you have a healthy attitude about changing your needles and oiling your machine or are you loosey goosey?  This is the Question of the Day...so talk to me. How much maintenance do you do to your sewing machine?!  Or is that a matter for the sewing machine repair guy?  I'm interested...so the comment section is open!

...as always more later!

A Quickie ~ The Blue/Black Print Skirt

When I work the hours I've been working lately, my sewing mojo hibernates...and an involved project just irritates me.  If I'm going to sew, I need something quick and easy.  Something I can sew up in a weekend but brings a little ooomph with it. This piece of fabric arrived in the last Fabric Mart haul and I knew I wanted to make a quick skirt as soon as I pulled it out of the box...even though that's not what I bought it for!

BTW, it's still on the site, here.  Now to be perfectly honest, this fabric looks better than it's hand feels.  It has a lot of polyester in it with a slightly brushed back...and even though it's not a natural fabric, the resulting skirt is kewl...which reminds me of this black dress made from some very poly fabric from Fabric Mart too. However, the fabric was perfect for what I needed to sew this weekend. Plus it will be hardworking as well as hard-wearing!

I really did make this pull on skirt as simple as possible.  There is no lining. The only complicated thing was that I bound the hemline and the elastic casing. I couldn't totally toss my "couture" ways to the wind! *LOL*

Full inside view

Binding on the elastic casing

Binding at the hemline

So here's the skirt...

The stats ~
*1 yard of Ocean Blue/Black/Multi Zig-Zag Weave Abstract Suiting
*TNT elastic waist skirt pattern 
*1" wide non-roll elastic
*2 yards of black cotton bias binding

More Construction Details ~
I did peg the hem of the skirt by taking in an additional 1.5" on both sides of the skirt.  The hem was machine stitched down.  Believe me besides pressing the binding in half, this was the easiest sew possible.  It only took me two weekends and all day to do, though! *LOL* But I wasn't rushing this, I just needed to sew something.

More pictures of the skirt...which as you can see are taken out on the porch. It was pretty warm today and my youngest daughter was around and volunteered again to take pictures.  I think it's because she is enthralled with my camera.

I did cook today and I also got the fabric pretreated for my OFQC dress.  All in all a very successful day.  I won't be wearing this skirt until later this month...this week I will be in my black suits with my new black 'n white slingbacks.

Finally, these pictures were taken by my youngest daughter who makes me laugh really loud and act silly so here is an outtake...

I've scheduled a few posts for this week so I won't be leaving you alone like I did last week. Next weekend I will be working on my OFQC dress because that April 30th date is fast approaching!  I've decided not to make an Easter Dress this year instead I'm going to wear this one because I've only worn it once...

Last thing...Jenny who writes the blog, Cashmerette, wrote an awesome post called, "One stop guide to sewing pattern sizes" that compares all of the sewing pattern companies (Big 4 and Indies) in one chart so you can see what size range you fall into, which is especially helpful to my plus size sistahs. But it was really wonderful of Jenny to do this and I think we all can benefit from this knowledge.  So bookmark the page and reference it whenever you shop for patterns!

Oh sorry, one more last thing...I received a book in the mail to review so that will show up on the blog shortly.  

....as always more later!

*Sigh!*

It's been a long six days full of 12-13 hour days and absolutely no thoughts of sewing.  So after sleeping late this morning, then having lunch with my Mom and daughter, doing a little shopping and sneaking in an afternoon nap...

I was thrilled to enter the sewing cave for the first time in a week.  I actually have no plans to sew...no desire because I'm still so tired...but I'm sitting in my favorite place at home...

...my sewingcave just as it is...no clean ups here...though I probably should!!!

This is what's laying on my sewing table...

...a simple skirt from the last Fabric Mart haul.  Finally these shoes, followed me home from shopping...they match a handbag that I bought from QVC (yes it's as treacherous to me as Fabric Mart is! *LOL*). I've wanted a pair of black and white slingbacks for awhile because black and white is hot for spring. I actually have a few black and white outfits planned to sew.

...so that's been my day.  Tomorrow I'm going to cook a big dinner for the family and prep for work because I have another week of 10-12 hour days. If I feel like it, I'm going to prep the fabric for my Oona Fat Quarter Challenge. Of course, I'll keep you updated!

...as always more later!