Some Fun Reading

Not too much sewing has been happening here, so I thought I'd share some of the fun books that I received for Christmas and my birthday. I love reading, and was really excited to get a Kindle for Christmas, but some books just must be read in book form. Books like these:

Yes, my sister is totally enabling my new knitting habit. Speaking of knitting, I've almost finished my sweater. All that's left is to weave in the yarn ends, do a little blocking and find a great button. Here's a sneak preview (in it's non finished state):

I am rambling just a bit. My body is fighting off some cold germs, and it has made me a little ditzy. Or maybe it's the strange snow day we've had making this an unscheduled long weekend. Maybe I'm confused because my hubby is making sugar cookies while we watch the Auburn-Oregon football game. And they are really GOOD!

Oops, I lied. There has been a little sewing going on here. I did make a muslin of the Amy Butler raincoat which I would really like to finish by the end of this weekend. I think I know what I need to do. It's those darn armholes and sleeves again.

So, I'll stop here, and flip through the knitting books to decide on my next project. Don't forget to enter the giveaway! I forgot to mention that I'll ship worldwide, this is open to everyone!

Another Giveaway

No, I haven't lost my mind. My giveaway is still open, and right now there's still plenty of time to comment. No, I'm talking about the giveaway over at Handmade Jane. She has a book and a bundle of fat quarters to choose from, so don't delay because her giveaway is ending soon!

The 100 Follower Giveaway!

Finally! Well, you know. I've been busy. Today I talked to a friend on the phone for an hour and a half! Yes, you read that right. And I semi-successfully gave Teddy (the black pup) a bath. They gave him a "bath" at the kennel, but he still had a lot of that good ol' Georgia clay on him. So, without further adieu...

Like I said yesterday, something for everyone. This is a 3 item giveaway, so something for everyone. Please feel free to enter for each item. One comment is plenty, just indicate which item or items you'd like to be in the running for by name or number. And there will be no jumping through hoops. Only thing I ask is that you are on my follower list. Comments will close one week from today, Thursday, January 13 at midnight EST, and I'll announce the winners (chosen with that random number generator thingie) the next day. Oh, please make sure I have a way to contact you. That's it! Here ya go:

Item #1

Vogue 8556, size BB (8-14)

originally in the running for mother of the bride dress last year, it didn't even make it out of the shopping bag. I think a short version would look adorable in a pretty cotton voile.

Item #2

30 yards of Rick Rack

I scored this bounty of rick rack when a local fabric and trim shop was going out of business. Really, what was I thinking? I've used some, but now it's perfect for giving away. This is for 5 yards of each color. The white, dark orange, and dark yellow are 1/4" wide, and the pale yellow, navy and periwinkle blue on the weird (easily removable flange) are 1/2" wide. Perfect for craft projects, kids clothes, aprons, pjs!

Item #3

Ultrasuede Coin Purse 

I originally made this for my etsy shop, but here it is in my giveaway! The ultrasuede is vintage from my mom's stash and it's lined with a batik cotton. The frame is 3-1/4" wide and it's about 4" tall.

Let the commenting begin!

Meet some new buddies

Not so fast though. I just want to say thank you to all my loyal commenters and followers. Maybe this is silly, but it really does mean so much to me to read your comments, and lately, they have seemed especially supportive. (Oh sure, I love a good "what a great dress", too! Does wonders for the spirits, won't lie about that!) There were several new names and faces that responded to our new family situation with Kyle's illness, and you all have my heartfelt thanks for that. By the way, he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (at least tentatively), and has been participating in an outpatient program. Tomorrow we are switching him to a different program here in Atlanta, but still outpatient.

And... tomorrow, to show my gratitude and appreciation for all my followers (all 100 and TWO... I know, I promised this at 100), I'll be posting my giveaway. There will be something for everyone, so if you've just been lurking and haven't clicked the follow button, now would be a good time!

And in the meantime, today, I was really wishing I had my Amy Butler raincoat made because it's rainy and gray, but instead the last two days have been all about these guys:

Danny

 Teddy

Kyle and I picked them out yesterday at Clover Run Rescue in Jefferson, Georgia. Danny is Kyle's and is a corgi/shepherd mix, and Teddy is mine and is a gordon setter/retriever(?) mix. They are about 18 months to 2 years old, and both boys are as sweet as can be. Their first night home, after going out for pottying about 10pm, they retreated to their little mats and didn't get up until 7:30 this morning!

Oh, sure. They aren't complete angels. Danny has already rolled in poop, and seems to adore the softness of a couch. Teddy has contemplated the day bed, but so far resisted. They both love a good belly rub (who doesn't?) and lots of attention. Danny is not so good about sitting, but can dance, and Teddy is a great sitter. Neither like baby carrots. And so what if my eyes are itchy today!

Edit: Almost forgot... only one more day for the sale at The Blue Gardenia! I'll be shopping tonight and buying something for myself for my birthday! See ya later, Denise!

The Perfect PJ's

Do you have that favorite thing that you always wear, that fits perfectly, and, when it starts to wear out, you think, hmmm, I think I can make a new one? That would describe my favorite pair of flannel pj pants, and early last fall, I bought the flannel, but never got around to them (what with Lady Grey taking over my sewing projects... and, ok, a few other things). Then I read about the press and seal pattern copying method over on Lindsey T's blog. Great!

But then, I ran into a wee little problem. These pj's are worn, and the cotton is stretched and distorted. I could tell when I drew the crotch seam that this was just not going to work. I pressed on though, because I have a pj pattern.

Well, I couldn't actually find the instruction book, but I found the pattern pieces, XS-XXXL all on one page. Great! But my RTW pants fit perfectly, so I just lined them up and traced the shape that most readily fit. No measurements were taken in the making of these pants. Get this... for the front piece, I traced the XS! You read that right. eXtra Small! For the back piece, I traced the large, for the waist width, but used the crotch seam for the small. And I narrowed the leg width on the back. Due to fabric limitations, I had to make the capri length. It would have taken several adjustments with a muslin to come up with that configuration, so using the perfectly fitting RTW as a guide worked great. At least for a simple garment like this.

Over at K-Line, Kristin is trying to reproduce her favorite bra, and it took some destruction. But I didn't want to go that route with my pj's, so I'm happy to show you, for about 4 or 5 hours of my time, start to finish:

Got 'em on right now!

And with a tummy full of blackeyed peas, here's hoping the rest of my 2011 goes just as smoothly, and yours, too!

The Grown Up Macaron

One of the worries that I (and others that might fall into a "more mature" age bracket have), is that it's possible that certain patterns are too youthful. Several Colette Patterns might very well fall into this youthful category, but I think fabric choice can be the key to "age appropriate". The Macaron is one that might be too youthful, but you be the judge here:

(Please ignore the snow white legs. I bought these great grey tights, but just wasn't feeling the whole, get dressed for the photo shoot thing.)

Some details: the main fabric is a "almost black" Italian stretch wool herringbone, and the lining is black silk habotai, both from Gorgeous Fabrics. The contrast is the tie silk from Gail K's in Atlanta.

I made some changes, but it's been a while so let's see what I remember.

• Added 1" to the bodice and 3/4" to the midriff piece.
• Started with a size 6 or 8-ish at the shoulders and graded up to a 12-ish. I cut 1" seam allowances for the skirt on the size 12, but ended up sewing a 5/8", so maybe we'll call it a size 13.
• Lengthened the skirt by 1-3/4" and had a 1" hem.
• Fully lined, interlining the yoke pieces and lining the rest. I used the facings, too, for extra neckline stability. Bound the sleeve seams with bias cut contrast silk.

•  Did not use the contrast fabric for the midriff, but instead used piping for a little definition. I think it makes me look taller and thinner (please leave me this delusion).
• Finally, moved the zipper from the side to the back.

 I'm sure that I probably made some other tweaks to the fit of the bodice, but like I said, it's been awhile since I made the muslin. Oh, the sleeves. Yeah, they were a bitch to be honest. I'm not sure what it is about my arms and the way they connect to my body, but I've had some issues with patterns recently. Anyway, they turned out ok, but it must have been magic, or some supernatural sewing skills that I possess.

And look! Pockets!

Life's Thread

First, I want to say that I hope all had a merry Christmas if you are so inclined to celebrate. My holiday was memorable, but to say it was merry would not quite be true. I've debated about this post, and thought about it, and even woke up in the middle of the night "writing" it in my sleep. I just can't write more posts about sewing though as if all is well in my life when it simply isn't. So, let's rewind back to my last post.

That post was on December 16. Yep, the dress was almost finished. Actually, I've worked on it a little bit more, and it just needs to be hemmed. Fingers crossed, that will happen tomorrow, and pictures will follow. I'm loving the dress, and can't wait to share it with you. But then December 17 happened. Now, when you think about why a holiday might not be so happy, it seems perfectly acceptable to say that grandpa had a heart attack, or auntie had a stroke, and everyone would be sympathetic and sad. So, why is it so hard to talk about mental illness?

The thread of sewing has passed from my grandmother to mother to me, but I also have the thread of mental illness passed along the generations. Mental illnesses can be just as "inherited" as high cholesterol, some cancers, or blue eyes. And there is a stigma surrounding mental problems that has always bothered me, because somehow it makes me feel that I can't share a very significant part of my life. While I'm thankful that it is not me that I'm referring to, this time the thread struck so very close to my heart, as we had to admit our son to a psychiatric hospital on the 17th.

I won't go into all the details, because they aren't really mine to share. He was discharged 5 days later, and we are all still struggling with finding some answers and how best to help him. He is attending an outpatient program now, but all concerned are not sure that the particular program he is in is really the best fit. And here I thought finding the right college was hard.

Anyway, the focus of this blog will still be sewing and crafty projects, but the occasional update will happen. I think it's important that mental health issues can be discussed, just as we talk about other health issues. But you know, having a crafty sort of hobby can also be very therapeutic. I mentioned my new found hobby of knitting (remember the glowing ball of yarn?). Even more than sewing, knitting in its repetition and hand movement has proven to be extremely relaxing to me. If only I could convince Kyle to give it a try. He has started to play the piano again to help reduce some of his anxiety. (See kids, don't stop your lessons too soon... )

So, prayers and positive thoughts are always appreciated, and I'll find the camera soon and show off my dress and my almost sweater in a day or so!