MMM Week 5

Sunday, Mar 27, wearing my faithful denim skirt. Really do love this pattern (S5914). I need to make more. I changed the position of the zip from the side seam to the left back seam after buying a skirt at Bloomingdale's with a zip in this position. I figured it would make for easier alterations, should the need arise.

Monday, Mar 28, in my fabulous new red (faux) suede suit! A co-worker commented that I reminded her of something you'd see in an old film, from the 20's or 30's, which I'll take as a compliment. The pattern for the jacket (V9923, c'99) also has a skirt, but for reasons I can't recall, I cut the skirt from M2129 (c '98). I changed the skirt a bit - eliminated the center back seam (you can do that when it's straight) and moved the zip to the side. I goofed, though, and put it on the right instead of the left, which might be why I set it aside. When I picked it up again last week, I didn't remember, so I just put on the facings, and didn't notice until I tried it on. Then I had to figure out for sure which was the front, and sew on a little patch of twill tape as a tag at the back.
A little tip for you: when clipping the inner corners before turning out your facing, don't clip the ends of the ribbons or self-ties that are sewn in near the corner, unless you want them to pull out the minute you've tied them.
(Wardrobe item the 3rd & 4th for 2011!)

Tuesday, Mar 29, wearing my new favorite cardi. I was searching out a different UFO when I saw this one, and knew I had to finish it up right away. The sewing up and edging took a little longer than I'd hoped, but I'm so glad I did it! You should see this with Monday's skirt - a.maz.ing. Seriously. I think I need a bunch more skirts from that pattern. And I think this cardi is going to get a lot of wear in the near future.
(Wardrobe item the 5th - I'm really cookin'!)

Wednesday, Mar 30, debuting the "Seed Packets of Frustration" shirt. Oh, yes, I managed to finish it. Frankly, if it weren't for MMMar'11, and my personal wish not to repeat anything during that time*, this might never have graduated from the sewing room to the wardrobe.

Check out the buttons:

Ladybugs!

I had both plain white, and these cute ladybugs, tucked away with the pattern. I almost went with plain white, but then, I figured, if I'm going to be wearing something this showy, it may as well have cute buttons, too.

So, I was a bit uncomfortable trying to style this to wear to work. I felt like it's out-of-date, and not really me, and rather too casual for work (still think so), but I was determined to wear it. I think I'd like it better with a red belt (similar style), and either red or purple leggings, but I don't have those things, and leggings aren't allowed at work anyway, so I did the best I could. I don't love it with the dress pants.
I was figuring I'd assign this to weekend duty permanently, and then, the new, very young, receptionist/assistant came in (at my clients' office), and she was wearing: oversize striped shirt, wide belt, black leggings. Who knew?
(Wardrobe item the 6th! I don't remember the last time I sewed this much.)

Thursday, Mar 31, last day! Introducing: Ennui Blanc. Shown here with Ennui Noir, first seen Mar 11. Both made from same pattern, B5471, and cut out on the same day, however long ago that was. So seriously happy to be pushing these long-time UFO's out of the sewing room!

(Wardrobe item the 7th...can that be? And here my goal was to make an average of one per month...)

*for the most part, I've managed to keep repetition to a minimum, only wearing items again paired with something else me-made. I think it's the sheer size of my wardrobe that drives me to do this. It would be odd to wear something again so soon in one month.

New Favorite Cardi

I am seriously loving this sweater!

I mean, how cute are those bows? and the shell pattern? I am besotted.

I think this'll be best over a simple dress, or with a longish skirt. I tried it with pants, and something about a front fly zipper just doesn't flatter the sweater at all.

I'm already on the lookout for more ribbon so I can change the look of this, match it up with more stuff in the wardrobe. As-is, it looks pretty fabulous with a lot of things, but a change in the ribbon will make it go with even more.

I really have no excuse for how long this waited to be finished, except for my avowed distaste for sewing up seams in knitwear. Only my insistence on a no-repeat MMMar'11 could have gotten this one out from behind the knitting chair and into the wardrobe so quickly.

Spring Green Chicken

mkay, this was easy, and pretty quick, even if I did have to sew on a bunch of parts. I sewed them on as I went, because, I guess, that's what the pattern said to do, and you know what? it didn't seem so bad. Maybe I should try that on the next project - sew pieces on as I go, instead of waiting until they're all knitted?

Anyway, I had fun, and I'm happy to have this cutie staring at me while I work.

Small errors: it says to sew on the wings along the cast-on edge. Not so. That would be either the top or bottom "feather", which is not what's pictured. Sew it on along the straight edge.

Then, it says you end up with 8 stitches after the last decrease on the body/head, but I got nine. Do the math, it's nine. Not a big deal, but, there it is.

As I said, I worked in the round, so I stuffed as I went. That was fine, but it was a bit of a trick figuring out where the center front was when it was time to sew on the wings and such. I don't think I quite got it, but it doesn't matter much.

There's a section in the middle there, where you do more stitches between increases/decreases, which I took to be center front. After I found that, I went over two decreases on either side, and placed the wings just below the decreases.

My tail could have been placed better, but I'm gonna leave it for now.

Yarns: Impeccable in Grass, Bamboo Ewe in Mermaid, Wool-Ease in Buttercup

All My Chickens, Week 9, Easy Patchwork Chicken

This sweet little chicken patchwork block is super-simple, requiring only squares and rectangles.

It would be really cute worked up in multiples for a larger quilt, or just finished with a simple border for a small wall-hanging.

*pic of my own creation added after-the-fact*

Up Sew Late

Last night, I left work early (early for tax season, anyway) and went to the HBLL for a showing of Union Pacific. The movie got out just before 10pm, and I went straight home, like I should.
I had a sewing project I really wanted to finish, so I went directly to the sewing room. (After the usual stuff, like hanging up my coat, putting my purse away, taking a bathroom break, etc.) I started an episode of "Secret Life..." on the Roku, and fiddled with a knitting project for a bit before telling myself that I could knit anywhere, but I could only sew, on the sewing machine, right where I was. I put the knitting away, and turned to the machine to work on my deep-red faux-suede jacket (V9923) (the matching skirt (M2129) is already finished).

I kept working at it, plugging away, putting the facing on (nearly the entire outer edge is faced), grading the seam allowance, clipping the curves, trimming the corners, and finally understitching that whole entire facing.

This took me a couple episodes.

(I think I know why so many of us make skirts - compared to a shirt, jacket, or pants, they take almost no work at all. Even a basic t-shirt has 4 pieces: front, back, 2 sleeves. But a skirt can be made with just two, total: front and back.)

I almost stopped there, but the current episode wasn't over, so I kept going.

(There's supposed to be top-stitching all the way around the jacket, but I'm undecided on this look, so I leave it for now.)

I put the gathering stitches on the sleeve cap (for easing, really, but the stitching is the same), stitched up the sleeve seams, serged those, folded up the hem, and tried them on.

Should have put them on before serging. These sleeves are meant to be a slim fit, in a moderate stretch knit, which my faux-suede barely manages, and I knew that.

I re-stitch the seam, letting them out as much as possible, which isn't much, due to the fact that I already serged them and trimmed the excess in the process. It's enough, thank heaven, so I hem the sleeves, and prepare to put them into the bodice (bodice portions were sewn together earlier in the week, hence my beginning with the facings last night).
This takes a while, because I want the easing on the sleeve cap to be even, and end up smooth, no puckers. I have a trick for this, but it still requires a little attention. I take my time, slipping the jacket on after each sleeve, just to be sure it's looking right. It looks great, so I serge the armscye on both.
Since I hemmed the sleeves before putting them in, the only thing left is top-stitching on the jacket.

I keep watching "Secret Life..." episodes this whole time, because I need that sort of distraction while I sew.

I decide that yes, I like the top-stitched look for this, so I start on that. It says to do one at 3/8" and another at 1/2", but I decide to do 5/8" and 3/8" instead. This takes just about forever, going around the entire outer edge of the jacket. (I should measure that, so you get the idea.)

Finally, after about 6 episodes, I'm done. But the current episode isn't, and I'm not feeling sleepy yet, so I get out the pieces for the Seed Packet shirt, and proceed to cut out the cuffs, plackets, and the interfacing for the cuffs. I mark the buttonholes and iron on the interfacing just as the episode ends, which I take as a sign that it's time for bed.

I clean up and turn everything off. As I walk through the kitchen on my way to bed, I glance at the digital clock on the stove, glowing green in the darkness. And I stop dead still.

It's 4:44 AM.

MMM Week 4

Sunday, Mar 20, wearing my pieced black skirt made from fake-suede patchwork-look fabric. (B3972) I cut this one out and sewed it up within a couple of days, back in the late 90's. It's easy-care, no-iron, and therefore gets worn quite a lot in the cooler months. I sometimes wish I'd done the asymmetrical hemline.

Monday, Mar 21, wearing my Grace Kelly skirt. (M7148) Made from cotton flannel, I have to iron it every time, which takes about 20 min, so it doesn't get worn quite as much, though I have to admit I love it more than most. (I kept meaning to try and get another shot of this, at a more flattering angle. I swear I usually look more graceful in this, but I suppose I could be wrong.)

Tuesday, Mar 22, in my lacy poncho (B396)and embellished skirt (S5198). I didn't do any of the embellishing here, that's the way the fabric was made, and I took full advantage of it. I love this skirt, even if it does need a quick going over with the iron. I don't wear the poncho much - it just seems over-the-top for everyday. But I do like it. Both patterns long-time out-of-print, and I'm not finding any online to link to, either.

Wednesday, Mar 23, sporting my ill-fated ex-husband sweater.

You've heard of the boyfriend sweater curse, no? Basically, knitting anything this substantial is likely to torpedo the relationship - it's too much, or something. In any case, my 1st husband requested this knit, went with me to buy the yarn (a lovely wool - which I somehow overestimated and now have enough left over to make another sweater), and somehow or other I wasn't done knitting by the time he decided he wanted a life without me. I put it away for a while, then picked it back up and finished it just before I married my 2nd. I did invisible seaming on the side and sleeve seams, which took forever and required a calm, rational me. It clearly wasn't his favorite piece of clothing. When he left, he didn't take the sweater. I even tried to give it to him later, to no avail. I haven't worn it much myself. I mended it a while back - either it snagged on something, or was eaten, I've never discovered which - and intended to send it to the cleaners just in case. It never went, though it did have a hiatus in the freezer. The sleeves are too long, and a bit roomy for me, but the rest fits well.
I felt it needed a little something up at the neck, so I added this super-simple hemmed remnant of a scarf.
Wish I could claim the pants. I need more me-made pants.

Thursday, Mar 24, in my Basic Black Dress. Everyone should have one. This one was made from S7586, 90's vintage, out of the same fabric used for my black jumpsuit. Never needs an iron, so this gets worn quite a bit. I wanted a little color today, so I added this non-me-made scarf.

Friday, Mar 25, getting desperate not to repeat anything, but running out of me-made pieces. I'm wearing my much-worn white knit top, made about 18 years ago (S9610, c1990's) out of what proved to be a very nice quality knit fabric - hard to find!
Also shown is a sash/scarf/belt made from B4462, c2005. I love this sash pattern, and have made several, most of which have gone away as gifts. I've cut out pants from this pattern, too, but they're still in process. Umbrella from Target.

Saturday, Mar 26. Showing off some me-made socks and my fringed sweater, which debuted during SSS.
I can't seem to get right with the weather. Seems every time this week I've decided on wearing a sweater, it's warm and spring-like, which convinces me to pick something cooler for the next day, which then turns out stormy.
Jeans: Liz Claiborne
Undershirt: Shade
Shoes: Arizona Jean Co via DI

(psst...I finished up a couple new me-mades, so next week, I'll be debuting a new outfit!)

All My Chickens, Week 8, Spring Chickens to knit

I was thinking it might be good to get away from the yarn for a week, but I couldn't resist offering up this pattern during the first week of spring, so here it is.

Spring Chickens (Rav link), a pattern for seriously cute palm-sized chickens. I especially like the non-traditional colored versions, like pink and teal.

I'll be knitting mine in the round, because that's the way I roll.

*pic of my own creation added after-the-fact*

Sam-I-Am, I'm having trouble with the ham

No problem making up the eggs - I just followed this pattern, and my alternate finish for a stand-alone egg.

I found that I prefer to cut it a round short, and do the random hdc, dc, trc curving bits on rnd 7 instead of doing rnd 8. They seemed more in proportion that way, though it could be just the yarn I used this time.

Note that it really does look better if you finish off your center color and pick up the white in another place, instead of trying to do a color change without finishing off. The egg on the left wasn't finished off, and you can clearly see the color change, even though I tried to make it invisible.

(I'm considering writing up my own egg pattern, since discovering that I really do make it differently. I'll let you know if that happens.)

I'm on my second try with the ham. First try started at the rounded end, but that ended up looking something like a bright green falsie, which wasn't good at all, so I ripped it back and started at the sliced end instead. I'm keeping track, and if it turns out nice, I'll write up the pattern and share it here, on the blog.

Yarns: Creme de la Creme in Brite Green, and Sugar N Cream in White

MMM Week 3

Sunday, Mar 13, wearing my cocktail dress. I really like the way this turned out, and it's super-comfy, since it's knit, but, even though I raised the neckline 2", it does dip a little low (not as seen here - I must have squared my shoulders again just before he took the picture), so it's maybe not quite appropriate for church, though I wear it anyway. I seriously thought that I'd be able to wear the top with jeans, but it's just too fancy. The pattern, New Look 6471, (oop) didn't really get as much attention as I think it deserved. The pattern cover doesn't give you any idea that it might look good as a dressed up set, but I think it looks nice, and the fit is fabulous. When I'm not trying to stand like a soldier, that rose at the bottom of the top lines up with the one just below it on the skirt. Didn't plan that, except that I was careful not to put a rose directly on the bust, which is how it ended up lining up right, I think.

Monday, Mar 14, feeling kind of drab in my brown twill skirt (though it is still a favorite) and a me-made necklace & pin. I made the pin from the scraps of this skirt, but it's much darker - the skirt must be fading more than I think. Great skirt pattern, though. (S5914) If you don't already have it, I highly recommend picking it up.

Tuesday, Mar 15, partial repeat. I wanted to try this top with this skirt ever since I made it, but hadn't gotten to it yet. The background on the top is the same color as the skirt. I clearly need to adjust the waist on the skirt to fit my curves better - that line is not attractive. I must have more waist definition than the average. Skirt is Vogue 1038, top is S4878, shoes from Naturalizer. (I really want to make the blouse on that Vogue pattern, too. I just can't figure out what fabric to use.)

Wednesday, Mar 16. I love this top! (M2961) I had to hand-sew the fringe onto the hems, but it's totally worth it. Paired it with my favorite black trousers, S8682 also seen on the 4th (and at least weekly IRL).
Bonus: when Twin1 came out to take the pic, he says, " I like your hair today"!

Thursday, Mar 17, wearing my best bright green for St Pats. Jumpsuit and jacket made from M8547, inspired by an evening ensemble seen at Sears. I've cut out the jumpsuit again, in a lovely faded-denim-colored silky fabric, but haven't got 'round to sewing it up yet. I think I'll pair that one with a white jacket.

Had to change clothes for the evening. Back into my maxi-skirt, this time with some me-made socks. Sweater: Dress Barn, shoes: DI, cami: Shade. (I went without a slip this time, and found that the low waist sat better when it didn't have something slippery to ride up on. I think maybe I'll line the skirt instead - sort of a sewn-in slip - which might make enough difference that I won't have to mess with the yoke.)

Friday, Mar 18, giving this jumper it's first (and last?) outing. Finished sewing it up Thursday night, after my meeting. But you know all about it already. Necklace: H&M, Blouse & Shoes: Target.

Saturday, Mar 19, wearing an old stand-by - my charcoal grey knit top, which I've had for over 15 years. I don't consider it work-worthy, so it only gets out on the weekends. Also sporting my chicken safety-pin pin, and my 2nd or 3rd ever pair of knit socks. These ones are lacy, and knit in a sport-weight yarn that feels all soft and smooshy. (top is B5553, long time oop)

Flashback Friday?

I sincerely wish this picture WAS a flashback.

Alas, I finished sewing this jumper last night.*

Seriously.

The pattern (M8966) is from '97, as is the fabric. I believe I was copying something I'd seen in a store, and I remember being so excited that I found this wide-wale corduroy in such a great color. I just got stuck somewhere along the way, and only pulled it out a few weeks ago to sew it up. (It is not quite this orange in person - more of a harvest gold, I promise.)

When I finished dressing this morning, I looked in the mirror, and fled to the closet for something else to wear. But then, I figured this should get it's day in the sun before being consigned to the rag-bag. (You should have seen it with the first pair of shoes I tried - dark brown pointy-toed heels - I looked like a pumpkin on stilts.)

I'm going to be giggling at myself all day over this.

Is there any help for this outfit? Would a belt do the trick? Maybe one set higher, just under the bust? I could add some wide belt loops. Or, if I can't locate the scraps (it's been 14 years, after all) I might be able to do large buttonholes to thread a belt through.

I know I was about 15 lbs heavier back then, so I'm sure this is a size too big as well as being out-of-date, but I'm not sure taking it down a size (oy, the work!) would make it better.

Help? Please?

Anyone...?

*wardrobe item the 2nd of 2011! though I'm not sure it should count if I abandon it.

Dalek standoff

Dancing, Charm, and so much more

Recently watched Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dance & Charm School (finally!) and I was totally unprepared for how amazing this film is.

It is so much more than I expected. Some of the more subtle things took me about half the movie to figure out - like what kind of support group it is, exactly, that Frank attends. (Sure, they're all widowers, but that's only half the story.)

I expect most of us know by now that connecting with people is essential, and generally unpredictable, but how many of us would have stepped as far outside our comfort zone as Frank? And kept going?

This is not a family movie, by any means - too much to explain to the younger set. But I would say it's a good date movie.
Be warned: you may want to rush out and find a dance class, or at the very least, a good bakery.

All My Chickens, Week 7, Green Eggs (Ham optional)

Just for fun, and a little green for St Patrick's, I thought I'd make me some green eggs.

 (And maybe make some of the edible variety for breakfast, too, come Thursday.)

My favorite crochet egg pattern is this one. You can find instructions for finishing the back (sans cuff) here.

I wanted to find us a free pattern to make a green ham, but it's just not out there. This one might serve as inspiration, though, and if I either make up a pattern, or find one, I'll be sure to let you know.

*pic of my own creation added after-the-fact*

MMM Week 2

Sunday, Mar 6, wearing an oldie. Made this dress back when the Twins were still smallish. My first one-piece anything at that time, since their birth; cuz, you know, nursing, and I needed things that either fastened up the front or split at the waist. This does have a short buttoned placket in the front (you can't see it here), so it was workable, if necessary, but not my first choice if I knew I'd be out-and-about with them. (TMI?)

(I swear this looked better just moments before. I must have re-adjusted the scarf or something.)

The dress was made up in the store, in this exact fabric (lovely heathered grey knit), and I just jumped on it. This has faded some, and the stitches on the hem have broken here and there, so it doesn't get a lot of wear these days. Super comfy, though. I've been known to sleep in it.

Scarf also me-made. It's a printed panel, and I simply narrow-hemmed with the serger.

Monday, Mar 7, one of my favorite skirts. I was lucky and found a remnant for super-cheap, in wool, that was just barely enough to make this skirt. S8664, view A. Blouse: Gap (via hand-me-down). Shoes: Enzo Anglioni (I have these in black and also in grey/beige)

Tuesday, Mar 8. Trying to stay comfy on a cold day, while still looking like I mean business at the office. These pants are actually my black jumpsuit, McCalls 8547. I know the length is a little "Star Trek" with these boots, but I actually like how it looks. Sweater: can't recall. Necklace: H&M. Boots: ummm...sorry. Tree branches looking like antlers: courtesy of Twin1's photo skillz.

Wednesday, Mar 9. Wearing my Liz. I really love how this blouse turned out. If I look a little perturbed, it's just because I was late for work. Navy pants: Dress Barn. Shoes: Walmart?

Thursday, Mar 10. I planned the entire outfit around the legwarmers, because I've been absolutely dying to wear them ever since I finished them, and they really aren't meant for the office. I took the day off to spend with the twins on their birthday, so I figured it was time to wear the legwarmers. They were even okay with how I looked! I fought my slip all day, though. It's about an inch too long for this dress, and kept peaking out. Dress: Whimsey in Park City. Shoes: thrifted. Jewelry: Lia Sophia.

(Note: the dress is clingy, and I'm just not as slim as I used to be - nothing more than that)

Friday, Mar 11, wearing my boring black skirt, (B5471)for the first time. I have to say, I think it looks better on me than it did on the hanger. It is really a nothing skirt - a couple of rectangles is all - and it's got an elastic waist, too. Totally thoughtless design, but somehow it looks elegant. Go figure. Blouse: Chico's via DI. Shoes: Target. Necklace & Ring: Lia Sophia. Earrings: ummm..... Watch: a Lisa H original (that's one of my fellow bookettes).

Saturday, Mar 12, late in the day. Wearing my yellow knit top (S3759) and hand-knit by me socks, also designed by me. Cardi: Gap via DI.

That wraps up week 2. I still feel a desperate need to get busy in the sewing room, but I just haven't been finding the time. No surprise there - I knew my work schedule would be crazy-busy. I just wish I could finish at least one more piece of clothing before the month is out. Two would be nice.

Beading the chicken

Did I say something about this being an easy one? How you wouldn't need anything special, just the beads and safety-pins, so anyone could do it?

Whatever.

First, have you ever tried to find tan/beige seed beads? Good luck with that. Pony beads, maybe, but the itty-bitty seed beads? I'm sure I could order some, but I was thinking I'd just walk into my local craft store and pick some up. Not so much. So I had to change the colors.

Then, after carefully checking to be sure I had the right length of safety pin, I start putting the beads on. Know what? If you're not careful, and the beads are maybe a little fatter? You can't put 10 of them on the pin. Really. I had to keep swapping out fat beads for skinny ones just to get them all to fit. Which also elongates the image, so it's not so much a fat chicken as a skinny bird.

Just so you know, when you go to scoot them around to the other side of the big pin, after you've loaded them all on to the pinning side, you don't need to change the order. They'll end up in the right place all on their own. (Did the instructions tell us that? Cuz if they did, I missed it.)

Also, it would have been nice if the instructions/tips had said something about starting with the pin on the far right, so you could load them onto the bigger pin as you go. I think doing it that way makes it easier to keep track.

My main color isn't exactly all the same color on my chicken. But that's okay. Because I said so.

Maybe it would have been better with a white chicken, blue background? I don't know. Not so sure I want another one, either, so I don't think I'll find out anytime soon. Let me know if you try it, though. I'd like to see how that looks.

What we do says a lot about us

It's funny the reactions we get when we talk about what we do. When someone we don't know is trying to make conversation, and asks the inevitable.

Currently, I work full-time for an accounting firm. If this is all I offer, the next question is either "oh, are you a CPA?" or "so...you're...admin staff?" Fortunately for the general population, the second option isn't the one I hear the most. I'm a tad defensive about that, and can sometimes over-react. (I went to school for this, bub, and I am not brainless. In fact, I'd bet you anything you can't reconcile your own bank account, so back off.) The answer I give when I'm calm is something to the effect of ,"I'm not a CPA, I'm a bookkeeper. I have about 50 clients that I handle the accounting for, at various levels. I do what I do, so that they can do what they do, and I'm good at it."
This usually comes off pretty well, and earns me a little respect. I'm a single mom, living in Utah, so the whole "working" thing is unusual from the start. The fact that it's something non-mom, non-craft-related, adds some extra oomph, which I like.

But.

I also wish I didn't have to work. At least not full-time. So, lately, I've been thinking a lot about doing something else. Something more in line with things I enjoy doing in my spare time.
It might be nice to do something that would actually fuel my creativity as opposed to merely allowing me to afford my hobbies.
I've been daydreaming about this quite a bit lately, indulging the notion of not being at a desk 8+ hours a day.

And then, I remembered: I like telling people what I do. I like the look of respect I get when people realize I have an actual brain in my head. And it sort of stopped me short.

Will I get anywhere near that much respect if/when I tell people I run a little shop?

Never mind the practical questions like: Can I afford to quit my job? What will I do if I don't make enough to cover overhead? The real question is: Can my ego take the hit?

Seed Packets of Frustration

You know how I've mentioned before, about sewing projects that sit in my sewing room for years and years, decades even, waiting for some final stitches? How some of the projects, I can't explain why I haven't finished them, I just haven't? While some others, it's something tangible, like, I ran out of that particular color of thread and just can't seem to find any more, or I am short a button, or something went wrong with the cutting out or sewing up, or a piece went missing, so I can't finish without serious design effort, which is just too much to think about?

Yeah.

I have this shirt-in-progress, we'll call it the Seed Packet Shirt (the print features seed packets), which was begun as a team effort between me and mom. A New Look pattern, very 90's, very loose and "comfy". Mom cut it out, and actually stitched most of it. I forget why. At some point, the unfinished blouse and the rest of it's parts ended up back at my house. At some point, it was noted that the cuff pieces were missing.

I was stoic about it, thinking to myself, how hard could that be to improvise - they're just rectangles, right? But, also being a perfectionist, I preferred to have the actual pattern piece. So I kept a look-out. (Mom is notorious for losing pattern pieces. She hates folding them up and putting them away. She loves it when I come over and clean up after her cutting-out sessions.)
I actually wondered if it would be unethical to pull the pattern from the drawers at the store, and trace off the piece(s). I thought about that idea fairly often, to tell the truth. But I never did it.

After a while, the pattern went out of print, as patterns do, and I had to go back to looking for the missing piece. It was never found, though many others were - skirt fronts, cuffs, collars, bodice pieces - all kinds of loose/lost pattern pieces turned up. But not the cuff for my Seed Packet Shirt. That piece, it appeared, was lost forever.

Until now.

While contemplating which UFO's from my sewing room might be smart (and fast) to finish for Me Made March '11, I started going through a basket of what at one point was my "current" or "soon to be finished" set of UFO's. Not much in that basket really excites me right now, but at some point, these were things I wanted to wear. At any rate, the Seed Packet Shirt is part of that group, so I pull it out, and tell myself it's time to get over it, once and for all, and just figure out the dimensions of that stupid cuff, so I can finish the thing and move on. The sleeve has some pleats in it, so I'll need to fold those over and measure the resulting width in that position to determine how long to make the cuff, which is best done with the paper pieces, since fabric has a tendency to stretch. (Can you understand why I didn't just do this before? Can you?) I reach into the pattern envelope and pull everything out. I unfold each piece, one by one, but only to point that I can tell it's not the sleeve, and then move on to the next piece, placing each piece carefully back in the envelope as I go. (I don't have a problem with that - I think of it as part of the process.) I'm almost through all of them, still haven't seen the sleeve, when I come across two small pieces that haven't been cut out yet. They're both just rough-cut around the edges, like you do when you're separating the pieces before laying them out to cut. I unfold them, and, what do you know? it's the sleeve binding and the cuff.

I....have no idea.

I was certain I'd gone through the pattern envelope more than once, but now I wonder. Did mom gather it up for me, and tell me she couldn't find the cuff? Or did I see with my own eyes that it was missing? The fact that neither piece had been cut out would explain them being missing in fabric form. But how had I missed the paper pieces in that envelope? I am kicking myself, because it seems like I may never have gone through the pieces, I just took her word for it. I guess they could have hid themselves all this time, but that's not likely. (Even less likely: mom found the pieces, gave them to me, and I tucked them away in the pattern envelope without so much as a second thought, never mind how long I'd been searching for them.)

I left the pieces out of the envelope, but placed them in the Ziploc with the scraps, prominently in front, so I could cut them out when I'm ready.

I am just so...frustrated!

That blouse is not exactly "now", and I can't tell you how many times I wanted to wear it back when it would have been, if I only had those pieces.

I'll have to get back to you on this one. I think I'll finish it. Probably soon. But I can't say as I'll like it much. I'll try, but I just can't promise anything.

(I think I'll go have another maple-bacon-bar. Nothing like a little comfort food to calm the frustration.)

All My Chickens, Week 6, Beaded Rooster Pin

Because the holiday-of-the-week this week is Mardi Gras, I figured a beaded chicken was in order.

With me so far?

This is one of those safety-pin pins, so it's easy, and doesn't require any special beading tools.

Rooster Beaded Safety pin pattern here, basic directions available here, and some tips and hints here.

*crappy pic of my own beaded creation added after-the-fact*

MMM Week 1

(I know you've all been waiting for this...)

Tuesday, Mar 1, wearing a skirt I originally made for a Halloween costume.
I was a bobby-soxer: green cardi with lots of beads & sequins, and some clunky loafers with white bobby socks.
Not everyone got that it was a costume. It was years before I allowed myself to wear the skirt in real life, but I liked it all along. And I only wear sensible pumps with it now. Made from who-knows-which simple straight (pegged?) skirt pattern, and lengthened to make it more "50's". The fabric is a stretch-woven, and I seriously wish I had more.

Wednesday, Mar 2, wearing my first wardrobe addition of 2011, my new favorite top, also seen here. Pants from Dress Barn.

Thursday, Mar 3, looking "fluffy & fuzzy" according to one of the partners at my office. I love this little "ponchini", which I crocheted back in '05. The booklet, Sassy Crochet, is discontinued, and I can't find anything similar. JoAnn had it created for their Sensations Yarns, and Leisure Arts doesn't list it anymore. It's a simple pattern, though. I made a bunch in different yarns, and kept just this one and the dark green I wore back in September on Fri, 24th.

My Rich Brown Pants were made from, I think, New Look 6471. They have a nice texture, sort of like wool crepe, except they're washable. (Top is from Shade.)

Friday, Mar 4, wearing my often-worn pair of wide-legged black trousers. (S8682, 90's) These zip up the center back, invisible zipper, and have a high waist. I love these and wear them constantly. The fabric has a little vertical stretch, so they're always comfy.

Grey Cardigan is made from an eyelet knit fabric, Butterick 6470 (oop) and fastened with a pewter pin. I kept meaning to put a button or something on this, but I like the pin. (Top from Shade, again.)

Saturday Mar 5, in my comfy blue plaid knit top. Made this one back in '92 or so, from M6228. Also seen during SSS. Jeans: Michael Kors. Shoes: City Sneaks.

Not doing so very hot this round. Most days I've only managed one me-made item, and I really should be able to dress top-to-toe in me-mades. I'm going to have to get busy with my sewing, maybe even my knitting, and get some of those UFO's finished off, and soon, or we're all going to get tired of the same-old same-old.