Scrubbies...Ready, Set, Go...

The netting has arrived and have already been cut into strips:

Whew! cutting 12 yards of netting into 2" strips is hard work even a rotary cutter and rulers.  The blade on the rotary cutter was no longer sharp by the time I was done.  Of course it could have been on it's last legs before I started.

When did fabric.com start having minimums on the by-the-yard items?  That is how I ended up with so much netting.  One color was a minimum of 5 yards and the other was a minimum of 7 yards.  You'll find that with other fabrics as well.

Here's the strips combined and wound up, ready to start crocheting the scrubbies:

This is enough to do 39 scrubbies.  I now have something to keep me busy while on shorts trips or waiting on appointments for a while.

Have you ever made scrubbies?  If not, you should give it a try.  There are lots of scrubby patterns over on Ravelry.  Most of my family love getting the homemade scrubbies.  My son in particular likes to use the scrubbies.  Many of the scrubbies made with this batch of netting will end up at his new apartment (first) this spring.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...The Shirtdress

I really like a nice shirt dress and this one by Eileen Fisher is very nice:

It is made from silk georgette crepe.  The style is a-line with a self-tie and a 10" back vent.   I really like the fact that it is machine washable.  This dress is long.  It's listed as being 46" and on me that would be close to my ankles.  The price tag is $398.  You should check out on the Eileen Fisher website. There is a video showing how beautifully this dress moves.  Anyone know where to get washable silk georgette crepe?

Here's a pattern that might work will for a duplication:

This is Vogue 8903.  Most of the details are there.  Well, maybe not the length.  It would need to be lengthened with a vent added for that.  This one you can make short-sleeved and be ready for spring, summer, and maybe fall. 

Okay off to see if there is actually washable silk georgette crepe available to the home sewer.

Happy Stitching!

New Bed...

Finding furniture to fit the small rooms in our new house has been a struggle.  I had brought two beds from the old house.  One of them was perfect and the other a little bit big but we're making it work.  The third bedroom was a challenge.  I wanted a queen size bed.  To have a queen size bed, it needed to be a storage bed.  I did look a little bit and asked my husband if he was willing to get it a try building one.  So, the adventure began.  We picked this plan from the Anna White site:

It is the Farmhouse Storage Bed.  I think it was a challenge.  DH certainly didn't finish it over a weekend and it costs more than $200.00 to build.  We made one change and that was to the head board and foot board. We used bead board instead of plywood.  Here's our version:

Here's a version put together:

I was in the closet to take this picture.  The room is just big enough to have the bed and be able to open the closet doors.  That is a success in my book.  Here's a view with the drawers in:

I'm so proud of what my husband accomplished.  This is the first time he has built anything this large.  Now, I need to get the room straightened up, locate new lamps for the wall, and figure out some kind of little shelf /table for between the bed and the window.

I don't remember what color of paint we used.  I can look it up if someone is interested.  The paint is from Lowe's and it is a furniture paint.  

Happy Stitching!

Stitchin', Stitchin', Stitchin'....

I have completed a sampler for the Swing Skirt:

You can really tell much by the picture but I think you can click on it and get a better idea of the colors used.  The fabric is teal and aqua with the stencil done in a grey.  Starting in the upper right hand corner the thread colors played with are:  the two petals diagonal from the right hand corner are navy, the two leaves below and to the right are done in a charcoal grey, the next petal to the left is outlined in light grey, the next petal is outlined in black, the large leaf/petal on the left in outlined in light grey, the next petal/leave diagonal from the left corner is outlined in lack with the final petal in the middle top outlined in black.

I am leaning toward the black or the navy for the outlining.  What do you think?

I haven't gotten my stencil ready to stencil the skirt panels yet.  I still have to work out the whole transfer bit to the felt.  I had the local printer print the stencil for me but I don't really want to cut it as I may want to use it again.

I definitely need to invest in a smaller pair of scissors.  I used my regular shears to snip out the appliques and it was not easy.  It would also probably be a bit neater with smaller blades.

This sample is for the Craftsy The Swing Skirt: Techniques & Construction class. 

Have you tried this style of construction?

Happy Stitching!

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I Have Not Been Knitting....

Oh, my knitting supplies are sitting out like I'm knitting but I haven't touched anything since last Wednesday when I went to the knitting group.  It was so much fun to sit around and chat with other women.  I had very carefully finished my swatch while at the knitting group but in reading the instructions, the swatch was suppose to be in pattern.  Okay, that makes sense but I wish I had noticed it before finishing the original swatch.  So, I started over.  I can't seem to keep the pattern going.  So, I'm going to start over again.

In the meantime, I have been working on The Swing Skirt: Techniques & Construction class.  I have watched the class all the way through and will return to the various sections as I work on my skirt.  The skirt by the way is now cut out.  I'm now working on how to get my stencil ready to stencil.  There are a few additional decisions that need to be made.  I still need to decision what color of thread I'm going to use in the applique.

I also fell off the Craftsy purchase wagon and purchased more Craftsy fun:  Sewing Bras: Construction & Fit and Simple Knitting Techniques for Super Fit.  I've always been curious about sewing bras so I thought that this would be a good introduction to that type of sewing.  The Knitting Techniques class just falls into the knitting interest.

So much to do and so little time.

Happy Stitching!

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First Spring Top....

I was really inspired by the last inspiration post and have made the Uvita Top pattern by Itch to Stitch:

Here's my finished version:

Here's another look at the inspiration top:

The Uvita Top is very well drafted.  I did have to make a couple of changes.  Here's the list of changes:

1.  The pattern has a little bit of waist shaping so to get the pattern waist to my waist I added 1 5/8" above waist.

2.  I really needed length added to the front and the only way to do this was to add a dart.  I slashed a line across where my bust was and added 2 1/4" in length and took this out at the side by forming a dart.

3.  I removed 2" in length at center back.  There was just too much fabric pooling at the waistline. Chicken out on this alteration with the stripes but I will do it with a solid.

Now that I have the changes need for me on this pattern, I can whip this out in 1 to 1 1/2 hour. Yes, that includes layout and cutting out.   Oh, I made a size 16.  I could have gone up a size and it might have been better.  I think I had gained a wee bit of weight after I took my last set of measurements.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration....A Tank Top....

Have you ever looked at the basics by Eileen Fisher?  One of the items is a basic knit tank top.  Here's a sample of a linen jersey version:

It is a very basic tank.  If you check, the tanks come in a variety of type of materials - silk, cotton, linen.  Most of them are knit, and some are not.   The tank that are not a knit are made from a washable crepe.  I actually prefer this version of the tank:

This past year I moved to a much warmer climate than I have lived in the past 25 or so years.  I know that I will need to figure out how to dress appropriately for the warmer weather.  The difference in summer temperature will most likely be at least 20 degrees warmer.  I'm wondering if tank tops will be a necessary item for hot summer days with a cardigan or light weight jacket for inside.

I do have two tank top patterns and both are from Silhouettes patterns:

The second pattern is probably more like the Eileen Fisher tank that I liked.  I'm hoping to give this pattern a try.  I have some knit fabric that is just for muslins.  I need to dig around and see what kind of woven fabrics that I have that could be used for a tank.  If the yardage is 60" wide, it takes less than a yard to create a top.   I think I will add this to my project list.  Maybe by the time it gets hot, I will have some nice fitting tops to handle it.

What do you think of this particularly basic?

Happy Stitching!

Knitting, Knitting, Knitting...

I think I enjoy knitting as much as I do sewing.  Somehow though, I don't always make time for both during the same day.  I found a local knitting group that meets on Wednesday at a little local bookstore.  My husband and I visited the bookstore last Friday.  It is a very cozy little place.  I was fascinated by the very large birdcage inside that held about 10 small birds.  I didn't actually count the birds but they were adorable.  Particularly, the little bird that was sitting on her nest cooing.

Back to knitting...so that I have a project to work on when I go to my first meeting, I started doing a swatch from a Lion Brand Wool Ease in rose heather:

My little swatch is about 1/3 complete to check my gauge.  I will be good to take to the meeting tomorrow.  I'm intending to my this scarf:

This scarf goes along with my Explorations in Cables class and is one of the extra patterns to work on.  It is also a freebie on the Lion Brand website.  It is called the Harbor Scarf.  I don't actually have the correct needle size for this project.  That is why I'm doing the swatch to see how I'm doing.  I'm getting ready to place an order for needles so this is the perfect time to be doing this.

While hopping around on the Lion Brand site, I found this lovely little pattern:

This is the Modern Cable Pullover and I put it on my list of projects (like I need another project).  It falls right into the cabling class practice work even if it isn't part of the actual class.  Now, I just need to figure out yarn.

I will also be taking the next sample for the Explorations in Cables class to the meeting with me tomorrow.  It is after all 2 hours and I don't expect me finishing the swatch and measuring it to take the entire time.  Hopefully, the next swatch will be finished in time for the next knitting update.

Just an FYI, Lion Brand is having a 25% sale on all pink yarn and kits for the month of February.

Happy Stitching!

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Inspiration....Top & Pants....

While perusing the Layfayette 148 webite, I found the following outfit:

Doesn't this look like a comfy, wearable outfit?  What do you think of the dropped sleeves?  Let's break it down:

This is the Matte Crepe Striped V-neck Sweater.  I really like look of this but the v is a little deep.  I actually have a white w/navy strip knit hanging out in the stash.  I'm just a little unsure of the stretch.  This little number is $398.00.  Maybe if I dig around a bit I can come up with something for this.  I know I just recently found a top pattern that had a different neck line but had the dropped shoulders.  Here it is:

The Uvita Top pattern from Itch to Stitch.  Maybe I'll check to see how this pattern fits.  I know I have extra knit fabric that is just for muslins.

This is the Acclaim Stretch Gramercy Pant.  It reminds me a little bit of the Barb pant.  I'm not so sure about the pintucks on the front and back.  I do really like the slim silhouette.  Definitely need the longer top for these  Here's the Barb pant:

The Barb Pant pattern by Style Arc would definitely give you a similar look.

What do you think about this outfit?  I really do think it is a nice wearable outfit for early spring.  My sewing list is getting very long but I do have a lot of fabric to play with.

Spring 6-PAC....

Do you follow along with the 6-PAC sewing on Stitcher's Guild or Pattern Review?  I seem to always read what others are doing with interest but don't really accomplish much.  With the last 6-PAC which was winter, I proudly managed two skirts - a brown twill skirt and a black/gray knit skirt.  Both have been worn which is important.

So it's time for the Spring 6-PAC on Stitcher's Guild, 6-Pack and SWAP Sew Along at Pattern Review, and of course, a must read is over at Dr E's Fabulous Blog.   There could be others that I'm unaware of.

So the 6-PAC is basically 2 layering pieces, 2 tops, and 2 bottoms.  When reading through the resources listed above, more information is provided.  If you look around at Stitcher's Guild or Pattern Review, you will find a lot of resources on wardrobe building.

I'm going to attempt another round of 6-PAC sewing following the guidelines.  We'll see how I do.  I did better with the last winter round than I ever had before.  Let's see if I can plan a wardrobe and follow through with it.  My colors for spring and summer generally lean toward blues, grays, pinks, and teals.  There is also always black in the winter.  I know my stash contains the following items:

1.  Black and white stripe knit that would make a great top.
2.  Blue and white plaid that would make a great top.

I don't know what else the stash contains that will work but I will be looking.  I will be trying to use the stash as the recent move proved to me that I had far too much fabric.  Of course, my husband now knows it too and can't understand buying more fabric for anything.  Before the move, he was aware that there was fabric just not the extent of it.

I guess two tops is a great starting point.

New Knitting Kit....

Oh, yes, I fell for one of the Craftsy knitting kits - Niazuma Sweater:

I really like the slight V with the extra details on the front and the sides. I received the Powder Blue color yarn. I'm hoping the raglan isn't a mistake. 

Off to see if I have the correct needles and other supplies.

Happy Stitching!
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Topper For Kitchen Cart....

Before we moved to our new home, I knew that I would have an issue with counter space.  So, I went on the hunt for a small kitchen cart that would be used as a coffee cart.  I found this cart at Target in black:

Sorry, there were not any available pictures in the black but it gives you an idea of the space.  This little cart fits at the end of the counter.  Due to the messiness of coffee making at our house, I knew that I would eventually want to add a padded surface to this cart so I picked up a coffee related print from my store.  Here's a picture of the print:

Fun print for a coffee stand, don't you think?

So, I set about drawing a pattern for the top which wasn't exactly the size that I thought.  Here's the results:

I drew the pattern to 18" x 20" with 1/2" seam allowances. Next I cleared off the little cart and placed the seams on the edges to see how accurate it was.  The pattern was a little bit big.  I took a crayon and re-drew two sides.  Here is the result:

It was a very small about amount that needed to be removed.  Maybe 1/8" on two sides.   It is easier just to take a slightly larger seam allowances.  My machine was -.06mm.

So, the little pad will have two layers of cotton batting to help absorb any spills.  I snipped the cotton out of the corners.  Here's the mat after being pressed and on the cart to check the size:

Looking good at the almost there stage. Here's the finished items after top stitching and quilting:

It looks like the quilting and/or the cotton batting shrunk the topper.  I still like it though.  Here it is in use:

I did make 2 of these toppers so that there should always be one available.  I do still have fabric and might make a third after I see how it works out.

I took the scraps and made a little cotton stuffed tube.  This was an impulse item that I thought might be usually.  Here's the little tube:

The tube is only about 19-inches long.  It looks a little bit like a draft catcher.  I'm going to call it a crumb catcher.  The stove in the new house has gaps between the stove and the counter and you know everything that can will fall there.  The little tube will be there to prevent stuff from falling between the cabinet and the stove.

Happy Stitching!

Inspiration...A Simple Pencil Skirt....

I love the simplicity of a simple skirt.  I have really been looking at the Alabam Chanin Pencil Skirt.  Here's a glimpse:

You really can't get much simpler than this.  Skirt is made from 2 layers of jersey with an elastic waistband.  It does have a center back seam with what is called a kick pleat but looks like a godet.  I'm sure this is considered a basic on the website but the price tag of $368 is a bit steep for me.  I have no objection to someone getting paid a living wage for doing this type of work.  Yet, I keep looking at this skirt.  The pattern isn't yet available via the webiste. Today, I realized that I do indeed have a pattern that will work for the above skirt.  It is "The Magic Pencil Skirt" by Pamela's Patterns: 

I made a version recently.  You can see it in this post.  I think I can duplicate a knee-length version of this skirt by making the following changes to The Magic Skirt pattern:

1.  Remove the 2-inches at the top plus any fitting changes.
2.  Remove the 1 1/2-inches for the hem.
3.  Add exposed elastic at the waist.
4.  Create a back seam and add a godet.

Actually, this is fairly small list of changes for this duplication.  I want to do this.  This would be a fairly good duplication of one of the Alabam Chanin garments.  I want to make one of her garments and I'm taking the Craftsy class for making a swing skirt.  This skirt would definition be easier for a first try at hand sewing a garment.  I may need to give a little more thought to this.  I'm fairly certain that the Magic Skirt pattern can be used with good results. 

I would need to create a complete outfit for this skirt to work in the wardrobe.  I've been wanting to make a basic t-shirt, also.  The question is "Should the top and skirt both be plain little basics with my extra embroidery or applique?"

My list of projects that I want to complete is getting very long.  I suppose dreaming about them is better than buying everything to complete the item and putting it in the stash to find much later.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think that the Magic Skirt pattern would work for this duplication?

Happy Stitching!

New Patterns...

The last McCall's sale got me.  I have very little need for new patterns but I had to have them.  Here's my purchases:

This is McCall's M7487.  I had made the Sew Sweetness Kizmet Trinket Boxes this past December here.  This pattern is very similar but the boxes are larger.

This is Butterick B6386.  It is  Lisette pattern.  I really like the jacket on this pattern.  Hopefully, I will actually get it made.

This is Green Pepper F758.  I have recently taken up bike riding and was wanting a top that I would be able to carry necessary items.  This one has a pocket on the back.  Now, I just need to find some fabric.  Shhh!  DH doesn't understand me buying more fabric.  The fabric for this pattern isn't a type that would be found in the stash.  I do not intend for it to become stash fabric.

Happy Stitching!

New Shopping Bags...

A few months back my husband requested additional shopping bags.  How could I turn him down?  He rarely asks for anything.  So, I purchased some fabric which turned into stash because at that point in time we were in the middle of all the events of 2017.

In mid-January, I asked him to pick the style of shopping bag he wanted and it was the Fabric Shopping Bag from The Creative Thimble.  Check out the free patterns that are available and while you're there check out the other patterns, too.

I have made this pattern before, way back in September of 2008. Wow!  I didn't really realize that it had been so long ago.  Here's the review at Pattern Review.  Here's my newest versions:

I do plan on making a couple more.  That way each vehicle will have at least 4 bags for shopping.

The instructions for this shopping bag is super easy.  You just need the fabric, a ruler, marking pen, and scissors.  Of course, a rotary cutter will work, too.  There are a couple of things that I did differently with this set:

1.  Topstitched the top edge of the bag.
2.  Topstitched the handles within 1-inch of the edge.

We'll see how these changes work out.  The only other thing that I had thought of was to add a hanging loop.

What do you think of the new bags?

Happy Stitching!