Lace Explained

Christy from Sew Much Fabric, Sew Little Time gets the credit for this one! She makes some wonderful things, and in this post, I spotted something made from a fabric I've had languishing in my stash for oh-so-long. I love this print, but for some reason, I thought I only had one yard, so I've passed it by many times.

Because I'm on a back to basics, tried and true kick right now, I used Burda 8090, my favorite fuller skirt pattern.

Inside, aqua bias tape trims the facing and Flexi-Lace finishes the hem.

Georgeina asked why I use the lace on my hems. Well, because that's how my mom taught me! Actually, when I first started asking my mom to sew things for me, it was because I was in love with Lilly Pulitzer skirts, but too cheap to pay $118 for one. One of the details on the Lilly skirts is that special Lilly lace at the hem.

And so, to indulge her only girl, mom made sure she added lace to the hems of the skirts she made, so they'd be just like the ones I coveted!

Curbside

Look what we found on the side of the road!

We spotted them on our way to the thrift shop.

"Gerry? I think I want those chairs."

"We'll get them on the way back."

"Um, they'll be gone on the way back."




Taking no chances, we turned around right then.

--beam--

And Gerry offered to do the sanding and painting.

--beam--

I chose the blue spray paint you can see on the floor. Only now I'm not sure I like it. How can I tell Gerry?

Favorite So Far

I decided it was time to take a break from experimenting with new patterns and revisit one of my tried and trues. Let's all say it together: New Look 6843! I should just erect a permanent shrine to that pattern over in the sidebar! (I can't get simplicity.com to load today for some reason. Hmm.)

Something must have been in the air, because I also pulled out one of my very favorite pieces of fabric to use.


The date on the selvedge is 2006, but I know I bought it in 2007, right after I started learning to sew. I remember coming across it at Jo-Ann's and being very excited to find something so cool there, in the midst of all the unexciting quilting cottons. So, after letting it age for two years, it was time to dig in!

My original plan, way back when, was to pair this with a red and white print. I know that, because I had the two pieces folded up together, but I'm not sure what project I had in mind. An apron? A skirt with a red band along the bottom? Whatever my plan, I backed off from using other fabric, because I thought this print should take center stage. Still, it needed something to set it off, so I got out my bias tape.


Red or blue? Or...polka dots? For a brief time, I was sold on the idea of using the red and white polka dot tape from this post, but then I second guessed, ran it past my mom, and decided to save that for a project where it would really stand out.

Did you guess I'd go with blue? Me? The biggest fan of red in the world? Well, here's how it is: I knew I'd want to wear a red shirt with this skirt, so I trimmed in blue instead to save myself the angst of matching hues. (How embarrassed I am to admit that!) The sad part is, the blue doesn't really match, but that doesn't bother me. It's just my reds that I'm protective of!

Wanty Again

But...but...I need black and white shoes for the summer. All of my black shoes are so heavy. And...and...Isabella needs another bed. She would love being all cozy in there. Um, and, well...that bag would be so easy to pick out on the baggage carousel. We'd save LOADS of time!

Yes, I've been sewing, and I can't wait to share, but I have no photos to show yet. As long as it's sunny tomorrow, I promise there will be a sewing post! I'm also getting very close to my 300th post, and there just might be something special in store!

Good Batch of Books!

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn-- Oooh, this was a good one! It's dark, and it can be creepy at times, but it was a page turner. Go here and you can read a bit of it. Or a lot of it. Watch it, you'll get sucked in.




Miss Harper Can Do It by Jane Berentson--From the mouth of the author when she attempts to describe the book to friends and acquaintances: “Oh, it’s like this fake memoir about this woman whose boyfriend goes away and she goes all nutso. But it’s also a family drama/comedy thing. A “dramaedy” ? Is that a word people use? Anyway, it’s got lots of jokes in it and some scientific facts. So uh, yeah. I like your sweater.” (From JB's website.) There's a cute chicken video to watch there too, but her blog is a little...sparse.

Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary School by Katherine Darling-- A foodie book without a cover blurb from Anthony Bourdain! How did that happen? Covering yet another aspect of the cooking world, this book focuses on the author's progress through cooking school. It stayed pretty focused, which I appreciated.

The next two are Persephone Classics. I read about these books on another blog, and they sounded intriguing, but these are the only two I can locate at local libraries. Interlibrary loan to the rescue!


Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson-- You may have seen the movie...I have too, now that I've read the book. I think they are especially good in combination. The book was lovely to read, but I loved seeing it come to life on the screen.





Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple-- Over four hundred pages about an "ordinary family" seemed a little daunting at first, but I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't say it's for everyone. If you're looking for something kind of quiet and steady, though, give it a try.




No One You Know by Michelle Richmond-- Richmond is the author of The Year of Fog, which I liked quite a bit, but this book isn't as strong. The writing was good, but the whodunnit aspect is kind of flat.

Building a Home with My Husband: A Journey Through the Renovation of Love by Rachel Simon-- I would have liked to read more about the home renovation and less about the relationship renovation, but that's me, and I realize that's not what this book was supposed to be. I would like to see pictures of the renovated house, though!

A New New Look

For the past few months, instead of reaching for my old favorites, I've been trying out some new patterns. The dresses, the nightgown, and, of course, some skirts. I never thought I'd say this, but I've been looking for a skirt that's a little straighter. Nothing too severe and pencil-y, just a change from the A-lines I know and love.

The latest experiment: New Look 6758 in view B (top row, middle). I figured the company that brought us New Look 6843, otherwise known as the best A-line skirt pattern of all time, might come through again.

Ultimately, I'm happy with the results, but it was touch and go there for a bit. I'm not sure I'm thrilled with the side zipper on a more fitted skirt like this, although that could have something to do with my zipper-inserting abilities. I think I do a pretty good job with them, but there could be some secret technique I'm missing. In any event, the zip seems a little too long, maybe? And doesn't follow the contour of my hip as smoothly as I'd like. Any suggestions?

I don't have a picture of the zipper, but here I am discovering deodorant marks on my shirt!

My second issue was with the waistband. It has a shaped waistband with the potential to be lovely, but the construction method is kind of a mess. Now that I know what they're aiming for, I think I can simplify that and clean it up a bit.

Look! I can wear my yellow shoes with this skirt! I have no recollection of buying this fabric. It was too much to have been a remnant...maybe it was supposed to become an apron? My mom remarked, "Well, you can certainly wear a lot of colors with it."

The last issue I had was with the fit. I cut a size smaller than my measurements called for, and it was still big. I was wary of taking it in, so I just threw it in the dryer instead. It shrunk just enough to make me happy. Next time I'll cut the smaller size.

Gotta have a hem shot! This shows that any narrow lace will do--it doesn't have to be official Flexi-Lace. I liked how I could follow the scallops with my stitches on this one. OCD, anyone? Oh well, it's not a very full skirt, so it didn't take too long to hand stitch it!

Better!

Okay, I could not move on until I did something about this dress. A few of you almost had me convinced that the sleeves didn't look too heinous, but then Shojin suggested I wear it only at home and I thought, "THAT'S IT! It's horrible! The sleeves are coming OFF!"

I got right to it with the seam ripper. Thirty seconds later: Uh oh. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Those seams were doubled as well as topstitched. And trimmed. Yikes. If I ever got the stupid sleeves off, would there be enough seam allowance left to sew on the new ones?

Nothing left but to try. I used the other sleeve option from the pattern, New Look 6803, and just hacked them off to a shorter length.


The sleeve shape, once hacked, was a little fuller than I wanted, so I took a little pleat at the hem of each sleeve. With the pleats at the neckline, I thought that was a reasonable solution.

Whew! I am so much happier with this now! Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to change the sleeves or do something besides give up on it! Now I must remember: No cap sleeves. Ever.

More on The Art of Travel

Another chapter in The Art of Travel which really resonated with me is the very last one, called On Habit. Without quoting practically the whole thing, I'm afraid I won't really do it justice, but it discusses the "travelling mind-set" and applying it to your everyday environs--seeing things with new eyes if you will.

What, then, is a travelling mind-set? Receptivity might be said to be its chief characteristic. Receptive, we approach new places with humility. We carry with us no rigid ideas about what is or is not interesting.

Like this field? Out of town guests remark on the picturesque views around our house, and we just kind of shrug.

We feel assured that we have discovered everything interesting about our neighbourhood, primarily by virtue of having lived there a long time. It seems inconceivable that there could be anything new to find in a place where we have been living for a decade or more. We have become habituated and therefore blind to it.

I'm glad to be reminded that there are new things, worthwhile things, to see right here at home. Life should be more than just moving through your days, existing, and waiting for the next vacation to open your eyes to something new.

And now, before I get too philosophical about this whole thing, I'll stop.

Not a Size Eleven

Oooh la la! Found these at the thrift shop. Love the color. Love the style. Loved the price.

Wish I could wear them! These little gems are going to find a spot in my life...somewhere!

From Bedclothes to Bed Clothes

Of all things, PAJAMAS have been one of my biggest temptations during my Wardrobe Refashion pledges. I think that's because my own nightgowns and pajamas are starting to look a little tired, and all the new PJs look so fresh and crisp in the stores. I've managed to resist temptation by sewing some new nightwear, but I wanted something new for the summer.

None of the current nightie patterns were quite what I wanted, so I was thrilled to find this vintage 1968 pattern at the thrift shop for fifty cents! It had been cut, but that was the era before multi-sized patterns, so it was okay.

I decided to make the knee-length version. Looks a little like Amy Butler's Anna tunic, doesn't it?




There were several fabrics in my stash that I considered for this project, but I finally settled on a blue and green floral sheet I'd thrifted a few months ago. It's all soft and broken in, so perfect for sleepwear. Other refashioners have used sheets for skirts, dresses, etc. I'm still worried that everyone will point and scream "SHEET!", so this was a good compromise for me!

In keeping with the thrifted theme, I rooted out some blue hem tape my mom had given me. Like how the price was written right on it? The outer layer was also kind of filthy, but there was enough clean tape under there to cut down into bias tape to finish the armholes.











What? You've never seen someone standing in the middle of the yard in their nightgown? Holding a pillow and having their picture taken?

Happens all the time around here.









As I was sewing this, I was struck by the "vintage-ness" of the directions. Things they would spell out nowadays must have been common knowledge back then. The directions also included a TON of hand sewing. Parts of it I did as instructed, other parts I whacked out on the machine.

I also tried the blind hem stitch on my machine for the first time. Let me tell you, that is pretty slick! I'm not sure I'm adept enough to use it on real clothes, yet, but it has potential!







In the back, they left this huge, huge opening. It didn't take me long to figure out I wasn't going to need it, so I sewed it up completely and just stitched the buttons on for show. I mean, really. No one's head is that big!

The Art of Travel

The book I held back from my last book post is called The Art of Travel by Alain De Botton. I have a little more to say about it than usual, so it's getting its own post...or maybe posts. I heard about this book in another book, My Mercedes is Not for Sale, where the author describes De Botton's chapter about the exotic in travel.

Now, I am all for exotic. If I could choose to go anywhere in the world, I would jump on something like India or Morocco--somewhere completely different from what I'm used to. Our budget and circumstances, however, are better suited to more conventional destinations such as Ireland and Spain, places I'd never had the slightest inclination to visit, because they just weren't different enough! If I was going to go to the trouble of spending hours on a plane and hundreds of dollars, I wanted to go somewhere that would pack a wallop.

And then Gerry's dad returned from his own holiday in Ireland and handed Gerry a fistful of euro coins at the airport. Gerry brought it home and showed it to me, and I was fascinated. Something about seeing those coins resonated with me. I might not see camels in Ireland. I wouldn't see any spice markets at open air bazaars. But there would be differences. Little differences.

Those little differences are what we revel in on our visits to Ireland. (Photos I've shared before.) We haven't seen the Book of Kells or the Hill of Tara. But we've been to the Irish version of Home Depot! We bring back pictures of everyday things that we just don't have here. Pay and display parking? What a great idea! Supermarket trolleys (trolleys!) that you have to unhook by inserting a Euro. Not something you see much of here in the States. (And you can score a few Euros if you happen to be in a supermarket parking lot on a rainy day.)




















Cars look different. Houses look different. There are parsnips, everywhere.

And while we're in the supermarket, how about the ubiquitous jamon in Spain or the vast piles of Christmas goodies on offer in Ireland?




















A tiny little washing machine, a "Bring Centre" for recycling, a giant jar of Nutella, or a department store sign--we are charmed by the differences we see when we travel. So what does this have to do with the book? From chapter three:

In the more fugitive, trivial association of the word exotic, the charm of a foreign place arises from the simple idea of novelty and change--from finding camels where at home there are horses, for example, or unadorned apartment buildings where at home there are pillared ones. But there may be a more profound pleasure as well: we may value foreign elements not only because they are new but because they seem to accord more faithfully with our identity and commitments than anything our homeland can provide.

Interesting, isn't it?

Eh.

There were no good pattern sales the other day, and I wanted something new, so I had a foray through the New Look book. I picked out number 6803, thinking I'd give another dress a try. Something easier and quicker than the last one! The one that caught my eye was view B, with the pleated neckline and cap sleeves. I also liked the look of the belt.

Of course, once I got home and read the reviews on Pattern Review, I started to have second thoughts, as people weren't exactly turning cartwheels over the fit. Oh well, what do you expect from a dress you pull on over your head? I decided to be inspired by Ec's review and give it a try.

Still proceeding cautiously, I pulled out some fabric I'd had second thoughts about to make a muslin. Originally, this fabric was meant for a Duro-style dress, which was all the rage on the Dress A Day blog a few years back. Problem was, I didn't know how to sew then, so I never made it. Then, by the time I could sew, I came to my senses and realized that would be a horrible mess! I used some of the fabric for a skirt, but the rest has been sitting here leering at me for years.

So, the dress. It's okay. Unlike most of the Pattern Reviewers, it isn't the fit that bothers me. Yeah, it's shapeless without the belt, but that's to be expected. My problem is with the sleeves. I think cap sleeves are the least flattering thing ever, and I knew that, but I went ahead with them anyway. Blech.

I asked my husband to take some pictures without the belt as well, and it was so funny--he kept saying, "You're not going to like these." He's right. I'll be a sport and show them to you anyway!




















I did like the idea of pockets, but I can't use them once I put on the belt. If I ever make this again, I'll either leave the pockets out or add a little length to the top. I also wonder about sewing the pleats at the neckline down. Would that look completely weird or might it help with the poufing? Hmm.

Happy Day

I hope all of you had a lovely 4th of July, whether it was

FOURTH of JULY!

as in Independence Day

or just Saturday, July 4th.

This was my first corn of the season, and it was wonderful.

Book 'Em

Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip-Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Steve Dublanica- Yet another book with an Anthony Bourdain blurb on the cover! I mostly enjoyed this book, with the exception of the parts where he talked about writing the book. A part of me kept thinking, "Uh, yeah, we KNOW." Not bad, though. He seems like a good guy.

Final Truth by Mariah Stewart- Yep, Mariah Stewart pops up again. This one was a little grisly maybe, and not my favorite of the quartet, but it was okay.


The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim-This caught my eye at the library, because it came through as a hold for a friend of mine. I asked her to let me know how it was. She said, "It was good." Not in a "you-HAVE-TO-read-this" kind of way, but she liked it. I liked it too. Be warned: It isn't packed with action, and it isn't a book you can race through. It's a gentle, even book that's good for a lazy, summer day. Sort of daydreamy.





Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline- My disappointment with her latest book kind of had me questioning what I ever liked about her books, so I went back to one from a few years ago. This was more like it.

Dune Road by Jane Green- Ugh. Last year I was pleasantly surprised by Beach House. This summer I'm sadly disappointed. Pass on this one.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho- I decided to read this because it's required reading for one of the grades at the local high school, and I wanted to see what the kids were in for. My brain must be suffering in my old age, because I could not get into this at all. I trudged through it, but I'm not a fan. Poor kids.


Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie- This is one of my all time favorite book covers, and it's even a cute tiny format, but I'd never read the book. I was always intimidated after reading the inside flap. I expected it to be, well, filled with inscrutable references to Chinese history, and I couldn't have been more wrong. I stayed up a few hours later than I should have to finish this book. My favorite of the bunch.





Killer Cuts: a Dead-End Job Mystery by Elaine Viets- A few parts of this latest installment felt a little awkward, but I was happy to catch up with some old friends at the Coronado Apartments. I think her next dead-end job should be as a cashier in a grocery store...I could offer some insights into that one!

And there was one more that I will post about later, because I have a lot to say!

Who Won ?

Wow! So many responses to the sewing question! It seemed like even more as I was making the little slips for the drawing. The random integer generator started to sound like a good idea somewhere around number thirty.

But then I wouldn't have pictures!

I loved reading your responses. Thank you to everyone for commenting.



One of the most popular sewing elves would be "someone to layout and cut the pattern." I would have to agree there! When all I want to do is GET GOING and see my project take shape, fiddling around with pattern pieces and pins seems like such a drag, or as Diana called it "painful foreplay." Oh, that made me laugh!

Do any of you start sewing before all the pieces are cut out? I do.

Also, Pam, Lynda and Kathryn mentioned not having a lot of space for working. I can SO identify!


"Someone to babysit" is also much in demand. My mom used to put me in my playpen when she wanted to sew, but I don't think playpens are so common anymore.

Lucky for me, I can just shut the door on my particular (cat) baby. I feel a little guilty, but I don't want her eating pins, now do I?





There was also considerable demand for fitters, which I didn't even think about. I just don't do a lot of fitting. I'll add some length here and there, but I'm not really knowledgeable about shoulder adjustments and sway back adjustments and the like. I'm a lazy sewer.




Another thing I forgot about is the dreaded gathering. Hibler House said, "I hate doing any sort of gathering- all those basting stitches, and pulling to meet dots and all that." Good one! I forgot how much I hate that, because I avoid it whenever I can!






And now for the giveaway winner. I drew number fifty two, which turns out to be...

Margaret K!

Margaret, just let me know which prize you'd like and I'll send it off to you soon!

Margaret, by the way, wanted someone to rip out mistakes. Any particular someone, Margaret? Johnny Depp? George Clooney?