Introducing...The Girls!

I don't think I have introduced the lovely machine that does such nice work with me.  This was a gift that my honey went halvsies on with me.  I got a new sewing machine, and he gets his shirts repaired.  It's a good deal.  This new machine is very computerised from what I'm used to, can't go super slow but that is okay because it can make little flowers and BOW TIES!

Then there is this lady and I'm still pinching myself over her being here.  She was a gift.  A total out-of- the-blue gift from an acquaintance.  He asked if I ever used a serger...I said yes, mostly at school. Why?
Oh, he didn't used his so much and wondered if I would like to have it.  This was the bit where I about died, but remained oddly composed.
I brought her home last week and just unpacked her tonight.  I'm thinking she will be named Daphne.

Frock Update

I've been busy stitching (and photographing) but not blogging about all the wonderful yumminess that is coming out of my sewing machine.

First project was The Anchor Dress

Revamped from a beloved bathrobe that starred in a play many moons ago, this languished in my closet until I decided to turn it into a dress.  It's really hard not to wear it almost every day!

Sonya calls this stitch the "chicken foot" because it's like a bird foot.  Makes me smile.

The Cornflower Dress

Yet another length of material that has been patiently awaiting my summer break.  This was just itching to be stitched up into some soft summer sweetness.  It's been hemmed and is awaiting the zipper to be stitched in.  I really must do that.  The rain has dampened my desire to sew summer frocks...

AT LAST!!!  The Elephant Dress!!!
Yesterday I purchased the zipper and fussed it in last night!  Fits like a dream and despite hesitation about elephants giddily rampaging all over my body, I am extremely pleased with how this has turned out.

What's next?  Oh the possibilities are simply endless!  I've got some black and white stripe, cute almost 60's floral, green bamboo with golden dragonflies, pinky-mauve in a Art Nouveau style...the list goes on.

I also have a pile of vintage upholstery fabric that I got from school (Thanks Carl!).  Once washed, it has softened considerably from it's former stiff shiny state.  Some of it is going to become clothing for me, and what I do not use will be given to friends and put up on my Etsy.

Stitching up a Storm

I've been busy!  Not only stagemanaging two different shows (whew!) but sewing many new goodies.  First up is a dress.

This dress, to be precise.  Found at Value Village for the astonishingly low price of 69 cents!  I was in love.  Top it off with a yummy flannel sheet for $2.99 and I was set.  A dress for $3.69?  Can't beat that. It was several sizes too small in the bust as most everything is these days.  I'm still not quite at terms with that.  When did I end up with such a large bust?  I know when, I'm just not okay with it.  Going from a 36" to 41" is not okay in my book.  *sigh*  Anyway.  This pattern is cut out at a size 10, (36" bust) so I knocked out a muslin just to see how woefully smaller it was than me, and it really wasn't that bad.  An inch or two here and there and I was back on track.  

First off I played around with tracing the original pattern onto newspaper and adding a couple inches here and there when I realised it looked exactly like my Sloper project from Spring Semester.  A sloper is a basic body fitting garment that you draft from your measurements and can alter easily to suit other projects.  Out came Slopey and into the trash went the molested pattern.  A little tweaking and it was ready to go!

I cut out all my new pieces (revamped the skirt a bit too) and blithely proceeded to stitch it all together.  The skirt went like a docile sheep, pockets included, but the bodice was rather a troublesome creature.  Had I bothered to pause in my onslaught and use a ruler to measure things out, it would have been perfect the first time.  I am headstrong and don't do that sort of thing often enough.  It came out too big even after fussing the front darts into perfect place.  I'll dart it again, I thought, along the underarm.  After pinning that into place it didn't look right at all.  I let the concoction sit a few days until Sonya could come over.  She took one look at it and said, "Oh honey, you just need to take in the side seams."

I glanced at my dress form and mentally smacked my palm to my forehead.  That was exactly what I needed, and precisely one of the many reasons I adore working with Sonya.  

Miraculously, the waist and the lower edge of the bodice matched up without any major fussing.  That was another thing I forgot to measure.  A crucial place for fabric to be the same size!  

I also cut out a neck facing (a little bit of fabric to finish off the neckline and make it lie flat and nice) basted that down, and then hand stitched it into place.  It turned out quite nicely.  I haven't decided how to finish the arms yet.  If I want to bias bind them or fuss up a sleeve. 

So for now, it is sitting happily, and I have a new dress pattern that fits me.   It's also yummy flannel, did I mention that?  Soooo soft!

Up next is a shirt dress, because I don't have one and I enjoy how they look.  And a couple of blouses because I have oodles of tee shirts, but not any everyday blouses.

Yesterday I found this lovely.  I squealed and did a happy dance complete with clapping.  Why?  It's a lovely pattern and all, but why?  Because, my dears, it's not only in my size (AHHHHH!!!!!) but it's UNCUT.  That's right.  You heard me.  UNCUT.  I'm still kind of pinching myself.  Even though that's not the best part.  Guess how much it cost?

Yep.  $0.69 cents.

It retails at JoAnn's for something on the order of $16-$20.

Also, I need to do a post on the children's clothing patterns I am collecting.  No babies on the horizon for a while, but I can snap up cute patterns for them in the mean time.  Also, whoever Lily is, she had an awesome Grandma.  There were scores of patterns marked "Lily" from little girl up to a prom dress.  I'm sorry that Grandma probably passed away, but happy that Lily got to be so loved.

Sorry for the picture heavy post (well, not really) but I've been lacking in maintaining bloggy posting lately.  More on stitching later.  I've got a muslin to fuss over!

Love, Anna

Crafting Tuesday

Seems I find things on Tuesdays.  Today I had coffee with Sonya and her husband Aaron who is recovering from a stroke only a month ago.  It's astounding to watch the progress he has made.  It makes me smile as I watch him stiffly walk about, cane in hand, knowing how marvellous that simple function must be.  I paused today to be grateful for a fully functioning body.  I can move my arms, legs, and have no trouble talking.  I look forward to celebrating with Aaron on his accomplishments and spending time with that wonderful family.

After coffee, I strolled down Broadway to the Value Village on 11th.  I really shouldn't tell anyone this, because the amount of crafting loot that can be found there is rather staggering.  Patterns for $0.69!  Goodwill charges $1!  But I mustn't hoard the wealth of supplies. 

I found some fabric.  This purple plaid was only $2 and came with what I assume to be it's original tags. I think I'll steam them off for safe-keeping.  It's currently destined to become a skirt!

This sweet miniature rocking chair came home with me too.  I couldn't pass it up.  Something about the red colour, and the woven seat bottom just spoke to me.  Besides, my dollies need a place to sit, right?  Right.  I quite thought so myself.

Along with the purple, I found a red fabric that appears to be taffeta perhaps.  It drapes like silk and is super yummy.  Despite having several large holes in it, I am content to use it and wear it to pieces.  Also coming home is a scrap of green leaf print that perhaps used to be a curtain.  It might be enough for a blouse, perhaps with some accent fabric to stretch it.

I finished my o w l s sweater today as well, so stay tuned for a photo shoot for that.   So far my summer is plugging along in a wonderful fashion!  I'm so excited to begin manipulating all the patterns I have found recently.  Until next time, keep crafting!

Love,

Anna

The Ensemble: part one

Since I now have actual slops, I'm going to refer to the whole shebang as The Ensemble from now on, (provided I remember that).
The Doublet is all but finished, it needs a button band extension and then ten shiney pewter buttons and it's ready to roll for Faire.
The Slops (baggy pants) are giving me grief. They require Cartridge Pleating (TECHNIQUE HERE) which I am more than prepared to learn, it seems a handy skill for my line of work. I just skimmed over the part where they say to practice the pleats on scrap fabric so you a) know how to do it, and b) know how it will work with your fabric. Me, being me, plunged headlong into the fray and dealt with the repercussions later. Meaning I did up a whole waist band, pleated it, and found my stitches were too wide. Snappeth.

Today, I will take my time and more care and make those darn cartridge pleats behave! :) Pictures later . . .

The Doublet - Part Two

When I last reported in, I only had a muslin mock up. Now I have nearly a fully completed doublet. The only sad part is that this isn't the one he's going to be wearing! It's practice, mostly.

First off, I traced the corrected muslin onto some heavy paper-stock so I could have a new pattern to work from.

Then I made a new muslin from the corrected ("new") pattern. . . spent the weekend knitting, and didn't fit it until Monday night.  It worked beautifully!

Cut out the fabric - $2.50 from Goodwill I might add!

Before I could sew the lining (the corrected muslin) in entirely, the pattern needed me to make up the tabs that go along the waistline.  So I blithely stitched along not realising I had sewn them backwards.  Luckily I only had seven to rip out and re-sew as opposed to another doublet pattern which calls for several hundred little tabs.  Re-stitched, turned right side out, and ironed within an inch of their scrawny little lives, the tabs were ready.

I pinned them on, to make sure that the unadjusted tabs would still encircle my adjusted waistline, and they did absolutely perfectly.  I sure lucked out this time!

With the tabs sewn securely to the body, I was then able to stitch the lining along that lower edge and turn the whole deal right side out again, pulling it through an armhole.  I ironed it so all the seams laid the correct way and it was smooth and nice for the arms to be stitched in later.  I also stay stitched (a line of stitches to keep things in place) around the arm holes to keep the lining and fabric in the correct place.

Yummy perfectly lined up seams.  This is the first time everything has fallen perfectly into place in a sewing project and I couldn't be more chuffed about it all.  I am hoping the second one goes just as smoothly. * crosses fingers *

Yesterday I got the sleeves put together (after A LOT of fiddling to figure out which side goes where to make it all pretty once I flip it right side out! oy.) and the wings.  Those are the crescent shaped do-hickies you see in the above picture.  They sit on top of the sleeves and are tucked on top of the shoulder.  Kind of like epaulets, but Tudor style.  I would have finished pictures to show you, but I was happily "borrowed" by my brother and don't regret it.  The day was fun.

TO-day however, it's nose to the sewing machine and I'm going to have finished photos tonight!  And maybe still have time for fabric hunting.  There is an upholstery shop not far from my house and I want to scope out what their prices are like.  Three weeks till Faire, people! :)

Art and Crafting...

Yesterday my brothers and I went out looking for inspiration. It was found at Pacific Iron. Big Guy is working to get a forge together in the basement, so we are constantly on the lookout for small metal pieces, findings, and wire for jewelry for his makings. I'm dying to buy a couple of these Oxyacetylene Torches for lightsaber handles. It will probably be inspiration for something Steampunk from Big Guy.


I love being around homeschoolers. I've graduated, but my two younger brothers are still in school. While I'm graduated, I've never lost the love of learning that is at the basis of all good homeschooling. You learn something new and amazing every day through being homeschooled. I love it.

Now this lovely piece of crap...this is driving me crazy.

This is the product of my love/hate affair with sewing machines. Rather, just this one in particular. First the tension was off, my brother fixed that. Then the bobbin thread wouldn't pick up, so it's been languishing until the weekend when I hope to persuade my mother to give it what for so I can sew again! It's amazing how much you miss something when you actually can't use it. I keep thinking about all these sewing projects I could be doing, yet I can't do anything about them until the machine gets fixed!
Now, don't get me wrong, I am a very independent girl who has no problem getting her hands messy and fixing something herself. I just don't have a manual to tell me how to put the darned thing back together once I've taken it apart.



So I sit at my little writing desk, blogging to the void about my broken sewing machine while the feeble January sunlight sparkles through the glasses of odds and ends on my windowsill. *sigh* I think I'll go troll the internet for a manual for the sewing machine.