A Little Yarn On The Side

When I tried out the fabric stiffener, I prepped 4 fabrics.  Of course, what I'm dying to do is to use the stiffener on the butterfly fabric, but I don't know how long this stuff lasts, so  this morning I am going to use up the coral fabric I've already stiffened.  There are 7 yards of this stuff, six of which will be used for this skirt: I've made this pattern before--the long version--and I really like the skirt, though in all fairness I seem to not be the sort of person who can wear "maxi" skirts.  I don't know how other people cope, but instead of looking elegant in a flowing full-length skirt, I'm the clumsy dope who is always tripping over the skirt.  So I've shortened the pattern pieces by 4 inches.  Usually, it's nice to make patterns that I've used before, because I've worked out all the details and know what to expect.  I put the pieces in a file folder with the edges stapled shut, then write any appropriate notes on t...

Hm--it's been a whole week since my last post. How did that happen? I've been a bit more sore this week (still), though I did manage to get the buttons attached to Andy's shirt: finished the tunic for me: started the next project: which I have been dying to use.  I have loved this border print since I first saw it in Joann's, and ordered 3 yards of it when it went on sale last fall.  Now that I've done a few table runners with 60-degree triangles, I have 3 or 4 different layouts I want to try with this, so the 3 yards might not be such a bad thing.  It did take a while and a bit of Pinterest surfing to decide where to cut, but this was the most popular place: Did you know how long it takes to cut three yards of fabric into strips?  So, this isn't very far along.  The BIG achievement of the week is: FLOOR SPACE!!!!!!!  Since I bought my thread chest, the box it cam on has been next to my tv stand as a place for the cats to sleep (because t...

On March 13, 2015 I finished this: and wore it for the first time today.  I really do love the jacket, but it was already too warm for it by this time last year.  No worries this year--rain, sun, hail on and off--and that was just today.  Wearing it made me want to immediately cut out yet another one, which is ridiculous as they take a LOT of sewing for not very much yardage, and I have other fabrics prepped and ready to use first.  And the 25 pattern pieces involved, almost all of which require 3 seams (together, edgestitch, quarter-inch topstitch) making it THE most time consuming project I could think of.  I'm guessing I cave and start another one by April 15..........What do you think?

Last night I finished up the buttonholes on Andy's belated shirt, and today added the buttons.  I've been hurting more this weekend, so I've been mostly on the heating pad, but with a little help from muscle relaxers today, I've been able to be up and about.  They're maybe not exactly great for one's sewing, since the first thing I did was to attach the pocket flap with the Velcro side UP but things got a bit better as I went along and the pants are now done and the whole thing is in the washing machine as I write this.  The whole thing used up 4 yards from the stash, so I'm just under 36 yards of fabric for the year.  To get to 200 yards, I should be at 50 yards by the end of the month, so I'm laying out one of the other fabrics treated with stiffener, and my helper and I are cutting out another tunic--this time in a bit nicer fabric.  To be honest, I love this fabric, and I did debate whether a tunic was good enough for it, but I've n...

Today I received an email offering a cotton-scented candle free with the purchase of cotton yarn. So, YES, there IS a perfectly normal explanation for why I am sniffing cotton yarn this morning..... I don't smell anything--maybe this is why I don't own too much cotton yarn.

I didn't sew at all yesterday, but I did remember it was Me Made Monday, so I wore one of my favorite sweaters  in an effort to remind myself that there are often about 10 days in the entire year when cotton sweaters actually fit the temperature because the catalogs are coming.  There is no bigger pain than trying to splice cotton or weave in cotton ends, but every spring those bright colors of cotton trying to suck me in with their promises of bright colors at 12-year-old models frolicking on the beach.  Thank heavens, there is cotton fabric.  Theo has rediscovered the joys of sewing, and has become quite a determined sidekick, which has slowed down progress--as if I needed any help with that. The pants I'm making have a drawstring, which I usually don't actually make as turning long, skinny tubes of fabric inside out ranks just after frogging mohair on my list of Activities to Make One Drink, but thanks to Nancy Zieman, I  now own a set of these: ...

It's now 70 days since I last bought fabric.  I have lost count of the number of catalogs and fliers I've received, but I'm obviously loved by a LOT of vendors--all of which are betting on my buying fabric before the end of the year.  It's a safe bet as I've never yet done it, but I am really, really trying.  And going through my shelves and finding fabric I have completely forgotten, it IS sort of like getting a lot of new fabric anyway.  Lots and lots and LOTS of new fabric............ It took a while to get the next sewing project underway as Theo has rediscovered the joys of sewing--or the joys of preventing sewing.  Luckily, yesterday was briefly nice enough to open the sewing room window, which is his favorite spot in the whole house.  With two cats in the house, I've learned to pin and cut REALLY quickly.  Call it a crafting survival skill.  Everything is cut, marked (which takes forever with these particular shirt and pants patter...