Summer Top

I finally did some sewing. I've wanted to make one of these ruffle tops since last year, but my time management skills are lacking.

I'm not sure how I feel about the color, but it's cotton so I can dye it if I want to later. It was super easy to make. I used one of the hundred tutorials on Pinterest but can't remember which one exactly. Now I'm going through my fabric stash to make a couple more! Mother's Day was yesterday. Look at the great cards I got!

Khloe went the sweet route. Eric knows my geeky heart. The two latest Star Wars movies have really reawakened my love for the series. I saw the original movie when it came out and had a tee shirt and Chewbacca action figure (don't know where he went). I put my sci fi love on the back burner for a long time, but now I'm in a place where I can be as much of a fan as I want. Last night, on my way home from work, I saw a woman walking her dog. Not unusual, of course, but I took a second look and saw that she was walking a big orange cat! It's the first time I've seen that around here. Khloe wants to walk Joshua and Buffy, but they aren't too thrilled with the idea. Buffy flopped flat on the floor when Khloe put a harness on her. She's such a dramatic kitten. That's it for today. Have a great week!

For The Well-Read Sex Symbol

As I mentioned last time, I planned to make something to celebrate Marilyn's birthday. I've read lots of biographies and they all say the same thing - Marilyn loved to read. She didn't finish high school and read to make up for the lack of education. The Marilyn Encyclopedia called her the "best-read dumb blonde" in Hollywood. I decided to make a bag inspired by another famous book lover-the Grainger Bag inspired by Hermione in the Harry Potter series. As for fabrics, I wanted to use stash. I decided to use some jeans that Eric had worn out and was going to toss. (In fact, the only thing I had to buy was a pack of denim needles for my machine. I had everything else.) You may know that Marilyn really rocked jeans. She was an early wearer in Hollywood and wore them in her movies, as well:

The bag turned out great -

It's big - almost 20" long and, well, let me show you a scale picture:

Inside the bag is the Encyclopedia, and the squares are an inch long. This bag will hold plenty! It has four pockets inside:

The lining fabric is quilting cotton that I bought a few years ago. I had made a dress that didn't turn out, so it's been added to the recycle box. I like how the pattern looks like the marbled pages inside older books. (I've seen tutorials for making marbled paper. It's been hard to resist trying it!) Because I used what I had, I had to make some modifications to the pattern. The strap is fixed in length, not adjustable. It hits me at my hip, which is just right. I didn't have a magnetic closure, so the top is open. Maybe, eventually, I'll make a buttonhole or add some other closure. Since the denim is old and worn I don't have to worry about it getting dirty - it can handle a trip through the washer. I can decorate the outside with some patches or get crazy with paint like Melanie did with her jeans, although she's much more artistic than I. Tomorrow I start a new job. I've been nervous and antsy for the past couple of days. Thank goodness my little shadow has been around -

He's always making sure I know that, well, he needs me and appreciates me - even if it is as the one who feeds him and plays with him. He was sleeping on the couch when I went outside to take pictures. I turned around and there he was, watching through the door. If anyone is looking for me, they can just follow the cat. It's crazy. Last week I planted four pepper plants. The bunnies have eaten three of them. But, look! A little pepper!

I love seeing little tiny vegetables. They're so cute. I saw a tiny baby bat when I was out, too, but didn't think to take a picture. I hope he made it back to his nest. I think bats are cool. We have a group of them that live in the roof of our porch. I like that they eat the bugs that bother me. That's all for today. I need to go be busy to burn off some of this pre-job stress or I'll explode. Then who would feed Joshua? Enjoy your day!

New Month, Finally

Wow, January kind of of sucked. It's enough to get the girl child back into school mode after being out on break for two weeks, but then David Bowie died. That was a shock. I held myself together long enough to get the girls to school (we heard the news on the radio) but cried the whole way home. Many blogs wrote about their feelings, but this one really touched me. I can't imagine too many other performers who meant so much to so many people. Then that week ended with Alan Rickman dying. You all know how much I love Harry Potter. He's also in a movie called CBGB that I really enjoy, so I watched it on netflix and read a couple of threads on Ravelry that shared feelings and celebrated his work. The very next day I got some unpleasant news about my son that hurt me a lot. Then we finish the month with a medical diagnosis for my dad that's only going to get worse. So my year is starting off quite crappily. I've been restless and antsy because I can't process so much at once. Last week I decided to check the charity shop. It was a good idea - lots of new goodies! They had cones of yarn - I'll be doing a burn test to determine the fiber. Three cones is more than enough for a couple of huge projects or dozens of small ones. I found lots of fabric, too. And these great patterns:

Aren't they cool? Three of them, the 70s ones, are too small for me so lots of tracing and adjusting will be required. I suppose I should finish getting my sewing area cleaned out and set up. The Butterick dress reminds me of something Sarah Jane would have worn during her adventures with the Fourth Doctor. I tried to look for some of her outfits but got teary-eyed knowing that the current Doctor won't get to have an adventure with her. Wouldn't they be great together? That's all for today. I'll be back soon, maybe even with something good to share. Have a lovely week!

Thrifting Finds

My boyfriend is kind of hard to shop for. He says he doesn't want anything and if he needs something he just gets it. He likes painted or carved wooden boxes, so I decided to check the charity shop - they've moved to a bigger building and I hadn't yet checked it out. Well, no luck finding something for him...but I found myself some goodies!

I love old craft books. How could I resist a sewing book with "the 70s greatest looks" on the cover? I've flipped through it and it's full of tips and information. The Crafts and Hobbies book is crazy. It includes not only macrame, spinning, and tie-dye, but sculpture, bread baking, preserving fruit, and wine making. The knitting books seem to be for beginners but have some nice basic patterns. The needlepoint one is just pretty. Maybe I'll start doing that again someday.

They had so many patterns. I looked through all of them. There were A Lot of great 70s ones but for a person smaller around than I. Maybe I'll go get a few for inspiration, though, or to put in frames as decoration. I was surprised to find sewing patterns. When I volunteered there the general thought was to toss them. The new bosses obviously don't feel the same way. Thank goodness!

Fabric! The pink is a thin fleece and there's five yards. I don't have any ideas right now but something will eventually come to me. The black is four yards of a light cotton and the blue is seven yards (!) of a similar light cotton. The cashier was impressed that I like to make clothes and we talked a bit about how sad it is to think of the working conditions in clothing factories. I really need to get in there more often. They have it planned out nicely and it was easy to move around and look at everything. When I picked Kerry up yesterday I noticed three second-hand stores near his dad's house. (Kerry is staying with his dad. I'm heartbroken but he's doing great in school and that's what really matters.) I've noticed a small fabric store and a couple of "junk" stores, too. It seems like I should plan to spend a day checking it all out. Who knows what kind of goodies lie waiting for me?

That 70's Skirt

My kids and I watch a lot of That 70's Show...some might say too much. Kerry and I laugh and laugh at the silly jokes and use the characters as descriptors, for example, "You're so Kelso" or "Stop being Red." My favorite character is Kitty Foreman. She's hilarious and reminds me so much of Molly Weasley - if Molly drank lots and lots of wine. Kitty often wears a wrap skirt and, after a bolt of lightning, I realized that it's the same as Tilly's Miette skirt. I'd been debating the pros and cons of digital patterns (the cons were winning!) when I got an email from a pattern seller with a discount code. I decided to browse and found this baby

on sale! With the discount code it was just over a dollar. Score! I picked out some fabric from the stash and got to work. When I tried it on to mark the hem I found a problem. The wrap didn't cover my backside! Yikes! I traced the pattern piece and made an extension, cranked some tunes (new Pat Benatar Greatest Hits cd, soundtrack of my youth) and got to work. Now my skirt is done and fits and, well, what do you think?

The fabric is another score. It's Robert Kaufman quilting cotton. I got the whole bolt for five bucks at the charity shop. Five. Bucks. I cut off a bit chunk for mom, who quilts, because I share. It's great for this type of skirt - comfortable and fairly light and washable. The design is really busy so my add-ons in the back don't really show. It's covered with flowers, fish, birds...I wouldn't be surprised to find a Tardis! Maybe I'll embroider one. Hmmm... Since I have so much of the fabric I did some dye experiments. I like dyeing things. It's fun to see what happens. Unfortunately, my dye selection is a bit sparse right now, so there will be more experimenting later. It was fun watching the color remover turn the swatch from blue and black to white and gray to cream and orange which dried to cream and tan. You'll see this fabric again, though, in some incarnation. So, in other news, remember the day of testing a couple months back? Well, they hired me! Yay! Monday I start a really great job. I'm super excited. The day starts at 6 a.m. so I've been gradually getting up earlier and earlier even though I've not been sleeping late this summer (except for after my surgery). Maybe by next summer I can go on vacation - I've been dreaming of a trip to the Grand Canyon for years. I'll even go alone if the kids and boyfriend don't want to go. I have lots of trips in mind - Orlando and the Wizarding World, some tropical beach, and maybe even a shopping trip to the mecca of secondhand shoppers, Second To None, that Vix and Curtise frequent. (That trip will most likely be just me since Eric has no interest in Europe at all.) It feels good to be optimistic again. This morning I have to go to court again. My ex doesn't seem to know when to just do what the judge says. I don't want to get into all of the problems I have with that piece of crap. I just hope that this time will be the last time. Okay, time to get ready to go. I'll be back, though, never fear! Have a lovely day!

Silver Lining of Sorts

Last week at this time (10:30 a.m.) I was sitting in a room at the courthouse waiting for my ex to show up for our third meeting with the state's attorney about his inability to pay support. He didn't show so I get to go back in two more weeks. Not happy. He has accused me of lying when I say that he won't be honest about his income and doesn't pay what he's supposed to or at all since September, but it's all true. But enough about him... after we left, Mom and I decided to check out the Goodwill in Peoria because we hadn't been there in ages. Holy crap. They barely had anything and it was all so out of our price range - I mean, $15 for shoes. Fifteen. Dollars. I can get new shoes for that! I did, however, find a couple of patterns that needed to come home with me.

The one on the left is one I've seen on a blog somewhere. I think my love of Stevie Nicks and her old stage costume of a leotard and chiffon skirt are coming to the front on this. Of course, that's a look only she can pull off, so I'll wear the leotard like I did twenty years ago - with jeans and crazy hair. I may try the pants and top, too, if I can find the right fabric. And on the right is another vintage shirtdress for my collection. This is from 1979 and looks pretty cool. It will also require just the right fabric, but I may have something to use for a first try. So I managed to get something good out of the day after all. Hopefully the next court date will be the last one, at least for a while. Today I'll be in another waiting room - both kids are home with fevers, sore throats, and headaches. Yay. A mommy's work is never done!

Planning Projects

Hi again! As I type the temperature outside is 1F. The wind chill is around -20F. School was cancelled all over the area because of the cold, and not just in Illinois. It's crazy cold in a big chunk of the country today. If it affects you I hope you're bundled up!
I have big plans for projects this year. I'm continuing last year's plan to knit up some of my big shawl patterns. I'm also knitting a lot of socks because I love my socks...and a couple of my favorite pairs are wearing holes in the heels. I'm going to try a sweater or two, too. I have some purple yarn that really wants to be a cabled cardigan.

One of the podcasts I listen to is having a hat knitalong this year. I think hats would be a good way to use up some of my single skeins of yarn and will come in quite handy on these winter days. I've been considering keeping a box to put finished things in that I can gift to people - I do know a couple of young men who might like wool hats and mittens.
During one of my sleepless nights I realized that I have a nice assortment of shirtwaist dress patterns - ranging from the 40s to the 70s.

I'd like to make a few of them up this year. I've made the oldest one before and wear it fairly often, so another one would get used. I think it would be fun to have a similar dress from different decades. I think I have one from the 80s, too, somewhere in my pattern collection...one of the blogs I read regularly said something about an Eighties Sewalong. I wonder if she's still planning it. I have a few different wrap dress patterns, too, that will be in consideration to be made. If only the fabric fairy would leave me a present!
I'm going to keep making things from my "Project Ideas" Pinterest board as well. Recently I asked some people if they make the things they pin and they all said no. Do you guys make the things you find on Pinterest?
My final plan for this year is to get Joshua healthy. He's still not well. Eric thinks I should talk to a different vet for a second opinion. I just know that it makes me sad that the poor kitty doesn't want to play like he used to and only has energy to walk from one napping place to another. He's far too young to be a lazy cat.

Winter Break Round Up

Happy new year! The kids are back at school after two weeks of being off for Christmas and I was so ready. They're much more manageable when they're on a schedule.
Our Christmas was rather small this year but nice. Both Kerry and Khloe asked for footwear - Kerry picked out a new pair of shoes from the Adidas website that were on sale with free shipping and got here in three days, just in time to wrap. I won't have any problems ordering from them again. He loves his new shoes and only took them off to sleep...although he was rather sick and may have slept in them a couple of times. Khloe has asked for brown combat-style boots since her birthday and I found a pair on Amazon that are perfect. She, too, has worn them non-stop since opening them. It makes me so happy when a gift is loved. Eric is not easy to buy for, so when he mentioned a cherry wine from Wisconsin that he'd had and liked I did a search and ordered a bottle from the winery and he enjoyed it. I also got him some cd's - Black Sabbath and AC/DC. He likes to rock. What did I get? Eric got me a sandwich maker, but mine is a double. I've used it several times and it's cool. The only tricky part is getting everything out without burning myself - it gets really hot. Mom gave me a set of Zephyr knitting needles from Knit Picks. They don't sell them any more so I think this was the set she'd ordered for herself a few years ago and doesn't use. I'll get plenty of use from them but knitting plans will come later. She also got me:

two new jars of buttons. She has me figured out!
Speaking of buttons, I spent Christmas Eve making these bracelets

inspired by some I've been seeing on Pinterest. The hardest part is deciding which buttons to use. I have a couple more planned, of course. The black and silver one is really long and can be used as a belt...once I tone up a bit. It fits now but is snug. I'm planning a brooch, too, but it's still in the "back of the brain" planning stage. Do you all have that? An area in your brain where ideas percolate until they're fully formed and ready to be born?
I'm going to be making this beauty soon

because it's gorgeous. I'm not sure what I have in the stash that will work. I didn't get any money for Christmas so new fabric will sadly have to wait. Doesn't it look like something Curtise would wear?
That's all for now. I'm in the house warming up a bit from shoveling snow out of the driveway. I can finally feel my toes again - and I'm wearing three pair of socks and winter boots. It's flipping cold out. I don't like it. I should go finish shoveling now before I get too comfortable...or maybe I'll save it for my son to do. Yeah. That's the new plan. I'll be back tomorrow to share my plans for this year. Stay warm, my dears!

Wrapped in Pink

I finished another Simplicity 7705 this summer. I love this pattern. I still have some adjustments to make so it fits better but I'm not sure exactly what it needs to be perfect. Anyone want to come help? :) anyway, I had a bit of a hard time getting a picture that both showed the color of the dress and didn't wash me out. This dress is really pink. I've had this fabric for a long time - Kerry is 15 and I've had it longer than I've had him! I tried to match it to a pattern many, many times but subconsciously I was waiting for this one I guess. I had just enough yardage for the dress and pieced together lengths to make the extra long tie belt (inspired by the Halston documentary on Netflix that I can't get enough of). What do you think?

I thought I was smiling...maybe only my brain was! I'm really happy with this dress. It will be a bright pop of color this winter when the world is snowy and dreary.

Catching Up

I have a few finished projects to share with you today. First up is a great bag. The pattern is called the Professional Tote. I've had the pattern for a while now and finally decided to make it. All of the fabric and zippers came from my stash - all I had to buy was interfacing. I worked on it a little bit at a time so it was a long project to finish but I love it. Eric said it's the coolest thing I've made.

This is the front. It has a big pocket in between the straps - big enough for my Kindle. The side pockets are intended for water bottles. The slides keep the bottles from falling out.

This side zipper pocket is supposed to be for passports when traveling. There's another big pocket behind it.

Here's half of the inside - it's divided in the center with a big zippered section.

Here's the other inside half. In addition to the center section there are four side pockets. I can take loads of stuff with me when I go anywhere. It's a great bag. All of the fabrics are cottons so it's washable. Now I just need a place to go! Here's the latest bracelet:

The base is denim from an old pair of Eric's jeans. I sewed a piece of lace on the back so the edges peek out. I love the combination of wood and shell buttons together. It fastens with a piece of velcro and is quite comfortable. You know I've had a bit of bad luck lately - Curtise said it sounds like a country song, and she's right. I asked my Ravenclaw friends what I should do and they suggested burning some sage. One of them, Lauren, even gifted me this beautiful shell and stand

to put the burning sage in. Hopefully I'll be able to clear these nasty vibes from me soon. Tomorrow I'll be taking some pictures of a dress I finished while computerless. Tonight, kitty permitting, I'll be cutting out a new dress to sew. Wearing something pretty always boosts my spirits and when it's made by me the boost is even more. So, back soon!

My Dress Is Finished!

I'm so excited - I've finally finished sewing my vintage Simplicity 7705! I wore it all day yesterday. Khloe styled it with the scarf and shoes because I didn't have quite enough fabric for the tie belt. Want to see?

I love this dress. I spent some time on fabric.com and found at least a dozen fabrics I want to use for more versions. It fits well and my family all thought it looks good - even with the flashes of cleavage. I know there's a post somewhere in the blogisphere about preventing wrap gapes, but I can't find it and, really, a flash of boob never hurt anyone, right? I'll fix it eventually. Khloe thinks I should shorten it a bit. What do you think? I can't decide. She also thinks that boots don't go with dresses, silly girl! This is my first project for the Vintage Pattern Pledge. It's been fun seeing what people are making. There's even another black wrap 7705! Next week is spring break for the kids so I should have another new dress to share. Yay for no alarm clock! I'm sure the cat will make sure that I don't sleep too late - he likes to be fed pretty early or he thinks he's starving. Poor spoiled baby. Okay, that's all for today! Have a wonderful weekend!

Tee Shirt Recon

Not long ago my son came home with a big rip in his shirt - he said he caught it on someone's locker. I kept thinking about how to fix it but nothing came to mind. Last week an idea hit - I could make a project bag! A few swipes with my rotary cutter and a run through the sewing machine and I had this:

It's big enough to hold a good-sized knitting or crochet project. I made a second one out of my oldest and most favorite Marilyn tee but the cat wouldn't get out of the way long enough for me to take a picture. I'm always glad to have places to hold my projects. Speaking of the cat, he and I had a bit of an accident the other day. He was trying to go somewhere he shouldn't. I started to shoo him and wound up with a size 13 steel crochet hook through my finger. It really freaked me and Khloe out. Thankfully it didn't bleed! Kerry called Eric's mom to take me to the emergency room to get it removed. It's my pinkie, so I won't be working with yarn for a few days because I use that finger for tensioning. Right now, two days later, I have a hole in my finger and lots of bruising and swelling. Kerry told me that he thought I was crying because of the ice dancing on television until he looked down. I missed the last three performances, darn it. I learned my lesson, though - use the water sprayer to shoo the cat, not my hand! And no, I didn't take pictures. It was too icky. Yes, the cat felt bad. He's been rather nice to me, not doing his usual biting as affection. That's all for today! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Advice, Please!

I love this dress. I made a muslin and it fits almost perfectly - even with my lowish waist. The problem? I don't know what kind of fabric would be best. Any suggestions or advice? The envelope lists so many choices, both silky and not. While I'm trying to figure it out, I'm working on a couple of things. Khloe actually wants me to sew something! I can't believe it. I want to hurry and get it done before she changes her mind - you know how teens can be.

Finally for today, did you see Bruno Mars during the halftime show last night? Isn't he gorgeous? I could watch him all day.

Back soon with some finished projects. Stay warm, loves!

Back In Business

I'm back from my break - no ravelry or twitter for nearly a month and very few blogs. I spent a good deal of time figuring out things and feel better. What have I been doing? Knitting dishcloths -

Lots

and lots

of dishcloths

I made 47 in all. My mom has a table in a craft sale coming up and I'd like to earn a few extra bucks for Christmas - five kids gets expensive, even if I'm only really filling stockings.
As for sewing, I'm still working on getting a good fit on my faux-DVF wrap dress. It's almost there! I was going to make a Halloween costume but the time got away from me. I don't think we'll have any trick-or-treaters, anyway - it's supposed to storm all night. Eric is happy. He hates Halloween. Khloe and I love seeing all of the little kids dressed up and usually wind up chatting with every one of them. I guess we'll be stuck eating all this candy. Good thing it's the stuff we like!
Tempest is having a Doctor Who sew-along. I'm working on just the right thing. I already have the big stripey scarf. I'm not ready to make the Leela costume - my dream cosplay for when I ever get to go to Gallifrey One, the big Convention in Los Angeles every year. One thing almost every Doctor wore is a vest. I'm going to go through my stash and find some good vest fabric. I have a couple of different patterns, but they're kind of similar. I mean, vests are vests. You will see that soon.
Oh! I forgot to show you my Fall For Cotton dress! I got it turned in on flickr on time but didn't share it with you. The pattern is from the late 40s and was given to me from my aunt. The fabric is black with multi-colored polka dots that I got a Joanne Fabrics last spring.

It fits really well. There are a couple of places that I'll adjust next time, because there will be a next time. It's a great pattern. I'm planning on wearing it to Eric's mom's birthday party this weekend. So that's all for today. I'll be back soon!

Dye - Licious!

It's very well-known that I love to dye things. I have a big collection of various dyes and accessories for any mood that I may have. I've passed this gene on to Khloe, it seems. She's a tye-dyeing freak and will add color to almost anything that sits still long enough. My first project to share is this:

The dress is the Ballet Dress from Dixie DIY. I've seen several versions around the blog world and wanted one for myself - and the pattern is remarkably affordable. I used a white jersey sheet and am very happy with the way this dress feels. It's like a big tee shirt. When I make it again, though, I will lower the waist a couple of inches. To dye it, I accordion-folded it lengthwise and tied it with yarn (because I didn't have big enough rubber bands) and gently squirted blue, purple, and wine colors on. Unfortunately the wine separated, so I put pink over the orangey spots. I really like how it turned out. This second project is all girl child. She watched a couple of tutorials on you tube and did it all herself - I just stood by and watched.

I love how they look. She is planning on adding another layer of the dyes to make them brighter. Didn't she do a good job? I have a couple more white sheets to sew with. Is it crazy to plan my sewing projects with the dyeing in mind? Speaking of projects - I've joined another sewalong! I'm doing the Fall For Cotton with Tasha and Rochelle. My plan is to use one of the patterns from my aunt with some polka dot cotton that I got last spring. When I get my zipper and buttons figured out I'll show you. If you're interested in sewing along, it starts September 1. There's a flickr group to share projects and ask questions. I'm kind of nervous about using a pattern that's nearly 70 years old - what if I mess up the pieces? I plan to trace it out and not cut from the original pieces, but things happen. I'll have to keep reminding myself to take it slow and relax. (I can't figure out how to add the button to my sidebar. When I do, you'll see it top right.) Finally for today, there's another heat wave going on in this part of the country. If it affects you, please try to stay inside and stay hydrated. I want you all to be healthy!

Kind Of Treasure Chest

A few weeks ago my aunt called. After some rounds of phone tag we finally got to talk to each other and she asked if I'd like some vintage patterns that she'd acquired over the years. I said yes, of course. So the next week, after a very crappy day that was just part of a crappy couple of weeks I came home to a box on the porch. Yay, my brain cried. I quickly opened it and found

a whole lot more than I was expecting! I have taken pictures of each one individually (there's over 50) and am slowly but surely putting them on a pinterest board if you'd like to see them or have any information about the year. So far only about a third are there because it's boring but now that school has started I should be able to finish soon. I plan to take pictures of the patterns that I've gotten from etsy, too. Have I mentioned that I hate Google Chrome? Kristen told me where to fix pup-ups but - guess what - this chrome apparently doesn't want to be screwed with and likes pissing me off with pop-ups. I absolutely hate that some websites will only work with some browsers and it does affect what sites I will go to. I also hate disqus. It makes it impossible for me to comment on many blogs that I'd like to comment on. I refuse to sign up for an account because, honestly, I don't see the point of it. Supposedly I can use my twitter account but I can't - it tells me that I have to sign up. I've emailed some bloggers to let them know about the problem - because surely it's not only me. Hopefully disqus will become less of a pain or will disappear. I'm not the only one who feels this way - my tweet about it got many favorites and retweets. Well, since the kids are at school I need to dance around the room a bit and enjoy getting back to my peace and quiet. I'll be back soon with a couple of finished projects and a plan for another sew-along. Have a great day!

What Do You Think?

I finished my Billie Jean dress! It needs a few adjustments - my zipper looks like crap and the armholes are a bit tight, but I like how it turned out. I have an idea for a full-skirt version after I finish up a couple of other projects. The only problem I had was with the skirt. I have short legs and have to shorten every pattern. This one didn't have any "lengthen/shorten here" lines, so I had to wing it - and still had to make my hem two inches, which erased almost all of the back vent. School starts next week! My boy will be a freshman in high school. He almost didn't make it, but he's so happy to be moving on and taking classes of his choosing. The logistics of getting everyone where they need to be will take some getting used to, so I think we'll all be a bit crabby for a week or so. Khloe is a cheerleader now. I plan to take some pictures when the games start so you can see how great she looks. Maybe I'm biased, but I think my girl is gorgeous. She's been getting some grief lately about her eyebrows - she has my full, dark brows and apparently everyone she knows thinks she should wax the hell out of them. I've been encouraging her to keep them the way they are complete with showing her pictures of models...I should get some shots of Brooke Shields and her great early modelling days. (I'm very much a Brooke fan, don't know why that wasn't my first thought!) If you're a friend of hers on facebook or instagram, please help me in my encouragement. Finally for today, do any of you know how to block popups in Google Chrome? I've been looking and can't find the right settings and it's very annoying to be bombarded with fat-loss ads every time I want to write a blog post. That's all for today. Have a good one!

My Hollyburn

I recently finished sewing the Hollyburn pattern from Sewaholic. I've seen this skirt on various blogs, but when Karen showed one of her recent versions I needed to have one. I used the view C version - shortest and fullest. The fabric is the wrong side of the batik from Joanne Fabrics from this past spring. I had a bit of a hard time understanding parts of the instructions but am happy with how it turned out:

I will probably make a couple more of these. It's comfortable and fits nicely - this was the first time I've graded a pattern to use two sizes and it worked out perfectly. I have two dresses cut out and waiting by the sewing machine but I'm trying to finish my OWL for the House Cup. I might not make it. I've had too many distractions this term and not enough desire to knit a very boring piece of stockinette. I recently signed up for pinterest. I've had so many people tell me that I have to have an account because it's so great and so much stuff is on it and it's a great way to spend time...but I don't care for it so far. The only thing taking up my time is trying to find what I'm looking for. I was hoping to transfer my evernote files over but apparently that's not possible. I've got a couple of boards going so far, one for Doctor Who cosplay ideas, steampunk ones (one is wearables and the other is goodies), and a vintage fashion one. Oh, and a Marilyn one that's not got a lot because I found another Bobbi with a wonderful collection of Marilyn pictures so I just follow her (she seems pretty cool all around, actually, this other Bobbi with the great tattoos). I would love some input on how to add images from places other than pinterest. I've been trying to use flickr as a resource, too, but it has changed and is a bit confusing for me - I couldn't figure out how to add the above image from there so I had to pull it from my computer - and I don't see how to add descriptions. I have favorited some things, though, mostly Pushing Daisies costuming images (I have a sad little pinterest board of PD, too) because it's also a bit difficult to narrow down and specify what I'm looking for. Social websites should really use ravelry as the ideal - so easy to use and understand. I'll be off now - there's fresh fruit in the kitchen that's calling to me. One of the best parts of summer is the yummy food! And guess what! I have over 30 little green tomatoes growing in my back yard. Fresh, delicious BLTs will soon be mine! Mwa ha ha!

My Picnic Blanket Skirt!

Last summer the wonderful Tilly put up a tutorial for her Picnic Blanket Skirt. I bookmarked it, thinking I'd get to it eventually because it's super cute. Recently when I was going through my fabric for some reason I found a piece that I knew would be great for it...so I made one!

I used a light-medium weight cotton that's covered in sparkles. It was pretty easy to sew up - it's all rectangles. I did have some trouble with the buttonholes, but then, I usually have trouble with buttonholes. I would up doing them by hand. They aren't great but they work. The buttons are from Knit Picks and are the same wood that's used for the Harmony knitting needles that I love so much. (I have a big love for anything that's made with the multicolored wood, though) I had a small, brief worry about a gathered skirt on a big backside, but then I decided that it would be like a bustle and just accentuate what's there.

I plan to make at least one more of these. It was super comfortable yesterday and I got several compliments on it. I had to wear tights and boots, though, because it was raining...big surprise. Many of the towns around here have been evacuated because the river is so high - the predictions are for the worst flood in decades. Our basement started to flood a bit but I used a push broom to direct the water towards the sump pump. It's not exactly how I like to spend a day but it's so much better than cleaning up after several inches of water have ruined things.
I have some sewing questions and don't know where to get answers, so if you can help please do. I'm very curious about linings. What should be lined? How do you do it? What kinds of fabrics are best for using as a lining? Is a lining better than a slip? I see so many beautiful garments on blogs that are lined in various ways and would love to know more. The few books that I have don't really talk about it. Any knowledge that you could share would be greatly appreciated.

Daisy Skirt

I have a sewing FO to share today - my Daisy skirt!

The pattern is the Bossa Nova skirt from the fabric.com website. It's my first time using a digital download pattern and thank goodness it's an easy one - we don't have a lot of clear, flat space for taping in this house. I bought the fabric at a yard sale. I think it's rayon, but I'm not totally sure. It's very light and swishy and Eric likes it. No, this isn't how I wore it today. I just put it on for a picture because I wanted to share - it's been a while since I've sewn something that I really want to wear. Maybe soon we'll have a warm, sunny day and I can show it off. As for knitting, it has been all dishcloths. Mom will be selling some quilts at a craft show next weekend and I'm hoping to make a few bucks. I gave her a bag full this morning - about ten, if I remember right, and can have several more done to give her on Friday. They take almost no time and I have such a big stash of cotton in lots of colors. I like making them, too - the easy knitting helps calm my mind or watch a show while I'm working. I forgot to take a picture of them all for ravelry, dang it. I realized that it's been several months since I've gotten an email from my knitting group. I don't know if there's no more group or if I'm just not invited anymore. That's all for today, my dears! I'll see you soon. Hugs!