This Is Not My Skirt

Whose skirt is it? My sister Alicia's. As you may know I've been teaching my sister to sew here and there (we both work full-time and things have been pretty busy around here so lately we haven't been doing much) but this is her most recent creation (see her first here). She is very simple in her tastes--she likes simple and tailored and prefers a good fit and a few accessories over wild patterns and crazy details. We could have bought a pattern for a skirt, but we decided to draft our own. I had found a book on eBay from 1971 that shows you how to draft your own clothing to fit your specific measurements and achieve a good fit.

The 'original' title amuses me in its datedness --

Basically you take a bunch of measurements (more than I'd ever have thought you'd need) and the book shows you what to do with them, and provides extra tips for fit.

The first lesson in the book is making a straight skirt, which we easily adapted to be slightly a-line. We were instructed to add a generous amount in the bum, which my sister doesn't need (but her sister might, hehehe), which we then had to remove by resewing the side seams. We tinkered with the fit, put in the darts, tinkered some more, and finally achieved a skirt that fits her perfectly. We took notes on any changes so the next time she makes one she can just sew straight through. Anyway--here it is:

It doesn't look like much, but once it's on it really looks nice (especially with tights, boots, and a cute sweater).

 She put this zipper in with zero trouble. Down one side, across the bottom, and up the other. We couldn't find a zipper that matched, so we used black. You can barely see it, but even if you could it works much better than a poorly matching green. You can also see the rear dart action up there.

 The fabric is corduroy microfiber in a dark olive green that also wants to look brownish at times. We tried very hard to get the zipper stops at the top so we wouldn't need to fuss with hooks and eyes that would be a pain to close. The textured fabric hides any stitching oopsies (if there were any).

OK, so unlike her first skirt where all the details were highly visible on the outside, this one has all the details on the inside. So let's flip it, shall we?

Everything looks just as neat and tidy on the inside (we're both sticklers for details but I'm better at letting things slide than she is, hahaha).

Our original plan was to make a waistband but we realized that where we measured and where she wanted the skirt to sit was going to be too high for comfort with an added band, so we went with a facing for structure and support in the tummy area. We actually could have made it work, in retrospect, since we had to take so much in at the sides. Next time...

I didn't feel like getting my serger out, so I read my machine manual and found a stitch that finishes the raw edge with a look similar to a serger. Each edge is finished like so. However, it uses a lot of thread. Like a freakin' ton of thread. When we resewed the side seams she looked at me and said "Do I have to do the edge again?" She did. Not without complaint, but again--stickler for detail, sooo..... It also takes a long time to do. Like read write a novel long time. I will be getting out the serger for her next project.

 She wanted a deep hem on this, and one thing I hadn't considered was how much extra fabric would be created from folding up a wider hem to a narrower point on the skirt. Pressing didn't help much, neither did coaxing with a tailor's awl. I didn't feel like doing the whole gathering stitch method, so I introduced her to the glory that is a walking foot. I blather on about things but a walking foot is one of those things that have to be experienced to be appreciated. She had not a lick of trouble once we attached it.

 One other note--you see how that hem is uneven looking? That's intentional. I used to hem skirts straight across, and then I'd wonder why they were shorter in the back (it's cause your bum hitches them up a bit). So now I hem skirts like my grandma taught my mom--one person wears it, the other measures up from the floor to wherever the hem is going to fall. This way, your hem is parallel to the floor, which is what looks nicest (unless you want an asymmetrical hem). If you haven't got a person to help with this step, they sell a nifty little gadget called a hem marker that marks your hemline while you stand still--rotate slightly--stand still--rotate slightly, etc.

So that's that. It's a skirt of much simpler construction than the red one, but the pattern drafting and fitting are where the lessons were learned with this particular endeavor. I don't know what's in store for me next with these lessons, but I have seen the fabric and it is delightful.

A Few for Friday - #45

'Allo! How's tricks? I'm looking forward to the weekend. First, I'm this close to finishing a quilt top that has stagnated for months and months for lack of the motivation to cut fabric into squares. To be precise--to cut a jelly roll into squares. In other words, I am too lazy to lay strips of fabric on a gridded cutting mat, cover it with a gridded ruler, and apply pressure to a rotary cutter. That's a special kind of lazy. But the squares are cut, and once those are sewn together I've just got a few long strips to sew to finish the border and that much is done. Quilting it is another story for another year. Second, Joann's is opening a store about ten minutes from my house, and that opening is tomorrow. Do you know what that means? It means I don't need to plan a block of time to try to find a weird color of thread at a store that is a bit of a drive to get to; I can just stop on the way home from work or run out during lunch. It's going to be sweet. Third, Friday night is pizza night and that's yummy. Yeah, that list kind of tanked at the end, I know. Anyhoodle--here are some pics.

Now that I leave work at that perfect moment during sunset I am treated to skies like this. In a week or two that will be done with until about February as it will be dark when I leave. Which I love. But still--looks like a fire in the sky, no?

 We have waffled between blue and gray skies all week. The leaves are brilliant against the blue, but it's been grayish in the morning. Which also provides a nice contrast for my favorite leaves--the bright red ones. It's a good thing I don't have an office at work, as our building is surrounded by beautiful landscaping and plenty of trees. I would sit and daydream all day. And forget about productivity if it were to snow. I suppose I will be a little girl forever...

 Thumbnail moon :)

Anything else to share? Ummm....oh! I used a double needle on my sewing machine for the first time ever. Holy cow is that crazy! I usually sew two parallel lines to mimic a storebought shirt, but this time I decided to be wild and crazy. You would think the threads would get tangled and do bad things, but they just zip through and you end up with a beautiful hem for no effort. I must try that more often as it looks like I can use the double needle for some of the decorative stitches on my machine... Other than that, I spent a few nights folding and tying and pricing up most of the goodies in my shop. My aerobics instructor told me to bring her my stuff and she'd push it during all her classes, so I was prettifying everything for display.  At least this way I can move it on out without worrying about packing and shipping and the post office messing things up, and make room for new makes to sell. 

So that's about it. I have been excited to go to bed this week as I bought myself new pajamas and they are so supremely cozy I want to get to sleep just so I can wake up in the morning in that sweet spot of warmth and coziness that exists only in the early morning. That's sounded really scrummy right now, so I'll say good night and see you soon :)

Pretty Maids All in a Row

Hello there :) I certainly haven't been blogging much lately and I don't like that. I'm hoping that changes as the calendar turns towards my favorite part of the year. You know how you have something you're kind of not feeling like doing because there's something to it you've never done before, but you can't do much unless you do that first because you promised? So everything is kind of stagnant? That's where I've been. And now that I've done that thing I can move forward and hopefully have more projects to share with you, especially since we're in the countdown towards...I'll just call it the end of the year so as not to elicit groans.

This week I finally cracked out my last custom order for the year (I hope). I was asked via my wee online shop to make some evening bags for a wedding. I was a little nervous as fancy fabrics make me clenchy, but of course I said yes as frame purses are one of those sewing projects that look kind of eh at the start, but end up all wowsers. After a bit of back and forth I had all the details nailed down, and I finished them up this week. Five large frame purse for the ladies, and one smaller one for the flower girl.

These were the most perfect shade of red. I was walking around the store with my phone with her color reference on it matching it up to different satins, and this one was right on. Like...right on.

I usually use a six inch frame, but these are eight inches wide. When I make the six inchers I feel like "Oooo, these are a great size" but they seem so teeny compared to these frames. Glad I sized up because this is a perfect perfect evening bag size--everything will fit without any smoosh and bulge.

These have a bit of interfacing in them. The outside satin was quite sturdy, so I only put fleece on it. The lining was a bit flimsier, so I used woven fusible on that and it ended up feeling how I hoped it would. I then used some sew-in Pellon craft interfacing #40. I was in the store waffling between forty and fifty and I'm glad I chose this--I think the fifty may have ended up a bit too stiff. These are soft and squishy but structured and don't sag under the weight of the frame. It took a lot of tries over the past few years, but I finally found interfacing combos that work well.

The linings are all in champagne (though the photo shows ivory). The larger frames have flopping loops--if you want to attach the chain they swing up, and if you don't they'll fold to the inside of the bag out of sight. The smaller frame has permanent loops.

That extra sparkle just makes them seem so much better. These simple clutches will be perfect for after the wedding, too. Everyone should have a red bag in their closet, yes? But the lining is kind of special. She asked me to include a personalized tag in each one with a simple message to her girls.

THIS is the part that had made me nervous as I had never done it before. There are oodles of tag-making resources online, but they would cost way too much. Instead I found printable cotton on Amazon. I worked up a few examples and she picked the font she liked. I ran them through the printer and let them sit overnight before I touched them again so there was no way I could smudge the ink. One side has adhesive, so you lay that on your fabric, press it, and stitch it down if you want. I was concerned the adhesive might not work on the satin but it was delightful--even the corners didn't want to peel up. I added the stitching so it wouldn't look too plain, and I think the dark print contrasts really nice with the lighter colors. I used the triple-stitch function on my machine to make the stitches stand out more.

So that was my sewing for the week. I am normally a marathon sewer, but I've found that lately that leads to me getting a bit of a headache from my shoulders being tensed up. What I've been doing is setting aside a limited amount of hours during which to sew, and then I work on my granny square afghan. This way I'm making progress on a few fronts without sacrificing NOT having a headache. I really must get back to my yoga classes, though. My body misses those.

Here's hoping you have a cheerful week! Later, taters!

Linking up here:

Sundays: Sunday Showcase, Think Pink Sunday,  Submarine Sunday

Monday: CraftOManiac Monday, Making Monday Marvelous, Market Yourself Monday, Made By You Mondays, 

Tuesdays: Take-a-Look Tuesday, Show Me What Ya Got, Homework

Wednesdays: Your Whims Wednesday, We did it Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday

Thursdays:  Catch a Glimpse, Craftionary

Friday: Link Party Palooza, Frugal Friday, Weekend Bloggy Reading

Saturdays: Show and Tell Saturdays

A Few for Friday - #44

I know I've been saying this every week for about a month, but guys? Tomorrow is November. What the hell? Happy Halloween, by the way. I feel like I've been going through the weeks in an absolute daze, without noticing the world around me. Do you ever get like that? I usually get that way AFTER Christmas, when the hustle dies down, not BEFORE. This is unusual for me. I don't like it. As such, my pics this week are kind of meh.

I could walk by original flavor all day long and not be tempted. But someone brought these into work  and there's a very good chance I was almost single-handedly responsible for their consumption. 

 Working on  my final official order for the year. It's for a wedding, and the customer requested labels inside. I used printable fabric instead of paying a small fortune to have them made, and they came out pretty nice. Hopefully I'll be done with the whole set this weekend.

 Isn't that the weirdest sun? The light this morning was strange. Everything seemed gray except the leaves on the trees. It was almost surreal. The sun just doesn't belong in a sky like that. Don't you just adore the lovely power lines I captured?

 It's verrrry fuzzy but someone was the cutest little dragon for Halloween. My sister sent this pic, but she had tried this on him when she was here one weekend, and when I tell you it is the most achingly adorable thing, to see the puffy butt of this costume and the tail waggling as he toddles along. Nephew Sr. didn't go treating this year, as "I already have plenty of candy. I don't really need anymore." Where does this kid come from? I guess he's happy enough the Sox won the Series.

 So, yeah. That's kind of it. Boring, I know. I'm ready to gather a posse to head out and search for my motivation...

I am so smart. S-M-R-T. I mean S-M-A-R-T.

This evening I had one of the biggest duh moments in recent history. I told my mother, and she said "How about that." I told my sister, and she laughed and said "That's a special kind of stupid." It really was. However, it was also such a fabulously stupid discovery that I care more about the discovery than the complete lack of sense I apparently possess at times. So here goes.

It's my favorite time of year, but that also means a total lack of good lighting for taking pictures, except on weekends. A flash is so harsh, so I was searching for one of those flash diffusers to attach to my camera to make things a little less harsh (found one, by the way) so I can take pics in lower light. Anyway, when I was checking to make sure I had the right camera model selected, I noticed something in the pictures they show you of your product from every angle. I ran for my camera, fiddled for a second, and then smacked my forehead in utter disbelief at myself.

OK, so this is my 'good' camera--it's a point and shoot, but a bit more of an advanced model so it takes fabulous pictures without the need for all those lenses and things. I love it.

Despite my love there was always one thing that irked me about it, but it was easy to get over as the camera is simple to use and takes great shots. It doesn't have that built-in screen, but one that swings outward like so--

If I was taking pics for a tutorial or something where I was going to be putting it down and picking it up frequently that little door was annoying, but I did like that it shut the screen inside nice and secure when I was done--

OK, so nothing new there. Then I noticed a picture that showed the screen flipped around so you could see what your selfie would look like--

So then I saw the next shot, the one that now makes this camera perfect to me. You probably have already figured it out...

Yeah, that's the stuff. Flipping the stupid stinking door makes this so much more comfortable to handle and view. I cannot believe it took me a year and a half to find this out. And the sad thing is that if I wasn't searching for an accessory I certainly would not have figured it out on my own.

So, yeah. How 'bout that.

(Oh, and these pics all came from the Amazon product page).

Home Can Be the Pennsylvania Turnpike

Thank you, Billy Joel, for that quote. As some of you know, I'm plopped down here in Philadelphia, and my grandma is settled in a tiny town near Pittsburgh. We're at opposite ends of the PA Turnpike, a road that, as it turns out, we've come to know quite well. We all head out every summer for a family reunion, and we've come to make a tradition of heading out each fall for a girls' weekend (my mom, my sisters, and me. And this year, the wee nephew).

We made a long weekend out of it and set out Friday morning. I decided that this trip I would take my good camera and try to take some pics of the journey. I was hoping for spectacular foliage, but most of it was quite muted. Some trees were green, others changing, and others looked like it was the depths of winter. Most of my pics were blurry and total rot, but I managed to get a few that captured the scenery quite well.

The sky was blue and dotted with puffy fluffy clouds. At certain points along the trip, the sun was hidden above layers and layers of gray clouds (which helped with facing west later in the afternoon when the sun was lower in the sky). It always seems to take so much longer to get where you're going when you're looking forward to the weekend. But we finally arrived at my grandma's, just before dinnertime. It was coooold out there, and the snug little house was nice and cozy.

That rocking chair? Made by my grandmother's grandfather. She's in her eighties, so I don't even know how old that would make this. We packed lots of toys for the boy, but he found a few old toys my grandma still has around and was perfectly content (like a Fisher Price Little People bus from waaaay back when). He's one of those kids that will play with boxes and strings and is fascinated by leaves, so you can pretty much take him anywhere and he'll be amused.

We woke up Saturday to frost on the ground. I sat with my coffee at the kitchen table, and worked on my granny square blanket for the other nephew, who didn't come to visit this time ("Will there be cousins there? Then no, I don't want to go this time").

Can you see what it's getting to be yet? I didn't make as much progress as I would have liked, but a row is a row so I'll take that for sure. After the sun was out and the weather warmed up, my sisters went shopping, and my mom and I took the wee un outside to tire him out.

 "Follow me, ladies! It's this way to fun!"

 Every leaf was a treasure.

Trapped on the porch. This kid is a constant ball of energy, who suddenly says "Run!" and is gone. He's tough to keep up with sometimes.

 That blue sky is a liar. It was quite chilly and windy.

Our last trip out was warm and sunny, and absolutely beautiful. This time, the chill in the air let you know, with no mistake, that winter is around the corner. We headed out for dinner at Applebee's. I had the pecan-crusted chicken salad. Wow. It was absolutely amazing. A-train took one of the lemons and had himself a taste of one--

Check out the bib...

All too soon our visit was over. We sat, and talked, and looked at old photos, and ate things that are bad for us, and watched A-train be an absolute ham. And then we piled in the car to make our way home. 

There are still a few Mail Pouch Tobacco barns that dot the TP. I was sooo happy this shot turned out, especially with the cows in it, as it's the only one I was able to get.

And then it was back to life as usual. Looking at the pile of stuff sitting on my sewing table. Wondering what built up in my work inbox for me to face tomorrow. Junk like that. I didn't feel like dealing with it, so we built a fire and popped some popcorn and just spent the evening hanging out.

I love going out to visit my grandma, regardless of that long drive. The western part of the state is so very different from the eastern side. It's almost as though there is a line right down the center, breaking up two very different...cultures. The western side smacks of industry--railroads, coal mines, farming, stuff like that. I loved watching that part go by in the car window when I was younger (and always hated when I would nod off during it). There's something so timeless and seemingly changeless about it (though of course that's not true--everything changes, unfortunately). When you hit the eastern side the road has a different feel, something more...white collar, maybe?... I don't know, I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's the fact that my side is normal life, and the other side is relaxing and not worrying about the to-do list. All I know is one of the coziest places I know to snuggle up with some yarn and a hook is my grandma's house. I really need scientists to get going with disapparation and flue powder (a la Harry Potter) so I can plop myself there whenever I want).

A Few for Friday - #43

Soooo we're down into the single digits for the number of weeks left in the year. Oy. At least the weather has been perfectly fallish--bright sunny days, chilly nights, and a few cloudy windy days thrown in for good snuggle-on-the-couch measure. And? Sweater weather. Woot! I've finally found some sewing motivation and spent a few nights this week cutting out a custom order for six evening bags. I've got everything cut and the interfacings fused--all that's left is the old stitchety-stitch and then it's whatever I feel like doing, whenever I feel like doing it, with a clear work conscience.

Anywho--I could certainly ramble on and on but I've got to finish packing for a girls weekend at my grandma's. So here are this week's pics--

 How does she do it? Mother Nature, I mean. Well, I know how she does it, and I could get all Sheldon Coopery about it, but I'm trying to be whimsical.

We were packing a few things earlier when I walked into the living room and saw Charlie, chillin' on the couch, staring at the doorway, waiting for someone to come and snuggle with him. He was watching 'The Waltons,' by the way. And he needs a haircut.

My brother texted me this earlier. He and Z-man and his girlfriend (my brother's, not my nephew's--please, people, he's only eleven!) carved their first pumpkin together tonight. I'm guessing this was lit, snacks were made, and a World Series game was watched. I rooted for the Cardinals. Because I like stretching the series until the final game. They should have to work for it.

So that's what I have for now. I've made a bit more progress on Z's afghan but have no pic yet. I'm hoping to get even more done this weekend and then I'll show you how it's progressing (and see if you can tell what I'm shooting for with it). Happy Friday, kids!