Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays To All

Fancy and Cozy

Oh, how do I start? I can only start by saying "I love this!"

The fabric is a dark emerald green stretch velvet. It shimmers and shines in the light and looks rich and elegant and it's as comfy as an old sweatshirt.

The pattern I used is Butterick 5215, which doesn't include the long sleeves but it really should because I've made it with long sleeves twice now but have yet to make a short sleeved version.

Bold Patterned Fall Tunic

And here it is. Finished last week, finally photographed yesterday. (I'm standing in the middle of our construction site, which has the advantage of having a level spot to put the tripod.)

I love it. The fabric is very stiff but it's still comfortable anyway. I added a bit of rick rack, which I suppose is controversial stuff but I like it. These colors say "fall" without being a typical fall print. I think I'm going to wear this on Thanksgiving, even though we're staying home this year.

Been Sewing

It feels like forever since I posted anything new here but I have been sewing. I finally started quilting a quilt that I had planned to have finished by now. I have been working on the top off and on since this time last year but it wasn't going well so I got discouraged with it and procrastinated. But now I'm going to try to rush through it and just get it done.

I did make the teal, brown, and orange tunic and I love it but I don't know when I will get around to photographing it. Maybe today, maybe next week. I also made a pair of sweatpants which are now my favorite sweatpants ever - so comfy - but I probably won't be showing those. The part of me that wears pants is very camera shy, if you know what I mean.

Finally, I do have one little thing I can show you. This doesn't look very good just thrown down on the table but I'm very happy with the way it turned out. It's for my granddaughter. I put fancy, sparkly buttons on it because she likes sparkly things. And so do I, so I'm thinking I might do this for myself sometime. Flannel with sparkly buttons? Why not?

A Lack of Impulse Control

I was going to sew the orange, teal, and brown fabric next but the morning I was going to cut it... HOLY SHIRT it was cold! So flannel was on my mind. I knew - I knew - that in just a few days it would be near 80 degrees Fahrenheit again but the flannel kept calling to me and so...

This is really a very nice flannel. I'm guessing it's about 7 - 8 ounce? Very warm and soft. I love it. I think this might be my Christmas outfit. Unless it's 70+ degrees on Christmas which totally can happen in Oklahoma as can -20. We hope for something in between those two numbers.

The pattern is McCall's 9065 again, view B all the way this time. I had to shorten the sleeves about two inches. That and raising the neckline an inch like I did before are the only adjustments.

Two Fabrics

I wasn't going to post about these fabrics until I made the tunics but I'm hoping to get some feedback, about the second of them especially, so here goes. These are both from the same Etsy shop that I mentioned before.

First, I have washed this one but not ironed it so it looks a little wrinkly. I suspect that it's going to be one of those "wrinkles are a feature not a bug" fabrics anyway.

I love the colors in this one. Naturally, they don't look quite as deep and rich as they do in person. This is going to be another McCall's 9065. This is bold but actually a pretty typical print for me.

And now it's Crazy Time. I wanted something a little crazy and "out there" so after days of looking and thinking and seeing my first choice (which actually, in retrospect, wasn't especially out there) sell out, I chose this. (I think my other half is going to have words about this. He's not really into crazy.)

From top to bottom in the photo is nearly the entire width of the fabric. It's oriented differently than I expected but that doesn't change my plans. My original plan to was to center one of the shapes - I don't know what to call them, wavy columns? - vertically on the tunic but which color, the pink or the red and teal? Then I thought, maybe I don't want to center that shape after all but rather have the zig-zag space between them run down the center, more or less, and the more I think about it the more I'm liking this idea.

I'm excited about this fabric and was going to sew it right away but now I'm thinking it might be best step back and let it simmer for a few weeks. Looking forward to your thoughts.

And So an Obsession is Born

I have a habit - I don't know if it's a bad habit or not - of using the same pattern over and over again when I find one I like. Here is my second McCall's 9065 and I have in mind at least three more that I want to make very soon.

But first I want to talk about the fabric. The little local quilt shop used to sell one and two yard pre-cuts. I say "used to" because I have not seen any there since they changed ownership, which is actually probably not a bad thing. I would go in and grab several two yard cuts, whichever ones caught my eye, with no real idea of what I would do with them. This was one of those pieces. You might not want to stare at it for too long if you're prone to seizures.

.

Isn't that the craziest? Honestly, I have a little trouble making my eyes focus on it. I have had it for a couple of years and the other day, for no particular reason, I thought of it and decided to try to get another M9065 out of it.

I shortened it about two inches and as you can see made elbow length sleeves. I also raised the neckline a little bit so I won't be flashing everyone. (I have an idea for fixing the first one. It's really just too low.) I like it and I'm thrilled that I used a piece of fabric that I wasn't sure when I would get around to, if ever.

As I said, I have already planned three more tunics from this pattern, all long sleeved. One will be a cozy red and white plaid flannel and the other two beautiful, beautiful Dutch wax prints (likely another new obsession but I'm going to try not to indulge any more for a while) that I ordered specifically for this purpose and received today. I am really excited about these.

Summer... No, Wait! Fall!

Hey everyone, I bought a new pattern and actually used it only a few weeks after I bought it! And if you're saying "So what?" maybe I should tell you that I have patterns I bought over 20 years ago and have never used. (But I will use them! Someday.)

Anyway, this:

(I always forget how incredibly yellow the overhead light in this room is.) I used the hem of View B and the sleeves of view A. They are supposed to have tabs but I'm not fond of sleeve tabs so I left them off and stitched down the turned up cuffs so they will forever stay in place with no fuss.

I swear my topstitching was straight before the camera got a hold of it. The camera hates me. It not only makes me look fat and old, it makes my sewing look wonky. (Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

I originally bought this lightweight cotton fabric with the intention of making a summer top but the days have been a little cooler and I was inspired to make this instead. And I love it! It was super easy to make and it fits perfectly without any alterations. The neckline is maybe a bit too low for cool weather, not to mention modesty if you're concerned about that sort of thing, but it's okay. I'm definitely making more of these.

Here's one more pic:

Marcy Told Me To

WARNING: The first part of this is a little bit political and possibly controversial so if you don't want to read that sort of thing just skip down to the good stuff.

There was a discussion a while back at Oonaballoona about African fabrics and whether it is okay for white people to wear them. Short version: Marcy said "Go for it," so I did.

I have been attracted to these fabrics for a long time - the bright colors, the bold, unusual prints - but I have been hesitating. In some situations being a white person (especially one from redneck country) can be a little uncomfortable. Yes, I know, I know... my life is good; I have nothing really to complain about. But still. I don't want to offend anyone or make anyone else uncomfortable and sometimes it's not completely clear what is right. I think the Internet makes us all a little more sensitive in both good and bad ways, or maybe "aware" would be a better word for it. Thanks to the Internet I have been made aware that there is a such thing as cultural appropriation. Sometimes it's clear what that means; other times it's a little more fuzzy.

As Marcy pointed out, the fabric in question, Ankara or Dutch wax prints among other names, has a very mixed cultural background. That got me to thinking, there are other, more commonly used fabrics, with designs that have been "appropriated" from other traditional cultures, batik and paisley for example. (BTW I came across this amusing page (at least it amuses me) telling us that we're all going to Hell for wearing paisley.) These designs and others have been popular for so long no one even thinks about their origins and whether or not we "should" wear them. We are nervous about African fabrics because they are new to many of us and we first became aware of them during the Internet era.

If you think about it, almost everything we think of as American originally came from somewhere else and that's somewhat true of Britain as well. I believe that incorporating elements of other cultures into our clothing and home decor can show respect and admiration. I know not everyone will agree and that's something else I wanted to address. One of the mistakes many of us make in regard to Others is thinking of members of any given ethnicity, religion or any other group you want to put people into, as being all the same, having all the same opinions, etc. Learning to think of all people as individuals first would help us in a lot of ways.

* * *

Okay, here's the good stuff:

The pattern is Butterick 5748, one of two that I'm currently obsessed with and can't stop making over and over again. (I was going to take pictures outside this time but it's been raining for two days and I didn't want to wait.)

Ugh. It is nearly impossible to hold one's face in a normal looking smile when taking timer pictures.

To be honest, only the bodice is B5748 and that has been modified. The skirt as it came with the pattern is a full circle but I used a self-drafted half circle with pockets instead. The bodice has a high, wide neckline, which I do not like so I always change the neckline and since I cut it freehand it comes out a little different every time.

Here's one more. I like this picture even though it's a little dark. You can see the actual length of the dress better in this one.

UPDATE: Oooo! I almost forgot the most important thing. I love it. Of course I love the pattern, obviously, but I really love the fabric. It has a nice lightweight but sturdy feel and the colors are great.

Soon to be Useful

A year or two ago (maybe longer; I can't remember) when the Hancock Fabrics in Tulsa had their going out of business sale I bought 3 pieces of cotton interlock knit. I originally planned to make t-shirts and only bought one and a half yards of each but later I decided it was too heavy for summer wear. Mornings have been cool lately so I was inspired to get out that fabric and make this:

I used this Butterick pattern, view D.

I wasn't sure I had enough fabric but I decided to lay out the pieces and see and it was just enough. It was very fast and easy to make, only two pattern pieces since it has kimono sleeves. I didn't bother with the button and loop because I doubt I would use it. I faced the neckline and front edges with wide bias tape.

Here it is with jeans:

The other two pieces of knit fabric are pink and orange. I don't know if I will make exactly the same thing with them but I'm very tempted.

A Pretty Simple Dress

Remember this?

This piece had been in my stash for a few years and I had planned to make something a little bit fancy and dressy but I decided that what I really needed was another casual, lounge-y type of dress so...

It's actually not very different from my original plan; I just made it loose fitting with no zipper instead of making it with a fitted bodice. As a "house dress" I'm happy with it. The arm holes are way too big so if I ever wear it in public it will have to be with a t-shirt or cardigan and I hope no one gets down on their knees to inspect my scallops but mostly it's okay. The little pink buttons are non-functional, for decoration only.

This fabric feels lovely - lightweight and smooth. I loved it when I bought it but as it sat in my stash love changed to merely like but now that I've made it and worn it my feelings about it are tipping back toward love.

It's HERE!

Look what came in the mail yesterday.

The top fabric in the picture is the purple fabric I wrote about in my last post. I am absolutely thrilled with it. The colors in the picture are reasonably accurate but there's a subtle quality that just doesn't come through in a photo. Anyway, love it and will sew it soon even though it's going to be a summer dress and fall is rapidly approaching. But that's what they make cardigans and tights for, right?

The other piece was an impulse buy. I can never resist a colorful paisley. It's from a different Etsy shop and even though it came from Florida both pieces arrived on the same day. This one will probably sit in the stash until next spring or summer.

A Confluence of Fabric Love and Tragic Events

I normally don't need any encouragement to go fabric shopping but I am currently in a "OMG! I have SO much fabric; I can't buy any more right now" phase. Add to that a little political uncertainty about what is acceptable for an old southern white woman. But I would have gotten around to the African fabrics eventually, maybe in a year or two. But I had to go and shoot off my mouth (or fingers) over at Oonaballoona and Marcy (as well as another commenter) encouraged me so I suddenly had to obtain a piece of African or Dutch Wax Print fabric as soon as possible!

I had been looking at a couple of fabrics at eQuilter.com but when I went back there they were gone so I looked at Etsy and found hundreds. I have been looking at and favoriting fabrics for days. I added about 20 favorites. I want to narrow it down to only one or two. So hard! Finally, I woke up yesterday morning and just knew which one it had to be and, as always when such a decision comes to me, in my heart it was already mine. A lovely print in shades of purple with some big fan-like shapes. But then I realized - the seller is in Houston. No one in south Texas is going to be shipping anything anytime soon and I feel a bit guilty even thinking about something as trivial as fabric shopping when millions of people are now homeless.

But, for me at least, life goes on and in a few days I will decide on a different fabric. Or two. I'm thinking about making a shirt for my brother-in-law as a thank you for being so helpful to us. Besides the purple, I have been especially attracted to fabrics with a lot of red and yellow. But those are not all so I don't know. Hopefully another fabric will speak to me in the next few days.

* * *

UPDATE: I kept checking that Houston-based Etsy shop (HouseOfMamiWata) and this morning there was a note saying that she is open! She is traveling to Austin to ship orders. So of course I went ahead and ordered that gorgeous fabric. Also ordered another piece from a different shop and I might even order one more. (I'm incorrigible.)

A Sparkly Little Dress

Here's another dress for my granddaughter:

Of course I would love her and accept her for who she is no matter what; making cute little tops would be just as much fun, but I am thrilled that she loves dresses.

This one is made of glitter cotton using the same pattern as the ladybug dress (I have updated that post with another picture) and added shiny rainbow rick rack around the neckline. I think it is not as long as the other one. That was the intention anyway. She likes purple and she likes sparkly things and she loves pockets (as do I) so this one is sure to be a big hit.

Excuse

This is why I'm not sewing right now.

My current sewing project is inside that chest, in the top part under the lid that lifts up. Obviously I can't work on it right now.

August Sewing Thoughts and Plans

It's the middle of August! Can you believe it's the middle of August already? Every year around this time I start thinking back to early spring and all the things I was excited about sewing then and all my ambitious plans. This year I have not done well at sticking with plans. I'm not terribly concerned about it. I got distracted by some other pretty fabrics and made a few things. I also altered and remade a few old things to make them more wearable and I made a few dresses for my little granddaughter, some of them using small leftover pieces of fabric. Oh, and a couple of shirts for my husband. (Zero chance I can ever get him to model them.) So really, not a bad summer so far.

Still, I'm a little disappointed that I haven't gotten around to this yet:

Or this:

I also have this set of companion prints that I've been thinking about.

I'm not going to go to the effort of photographing all of the fabrics I'm thinking about right now, just one more because I'm seriously thinking this might be next. Or I might make another shirt for my husband; I don't know. (Right now I'm working on another lovely little dress for the granddaughter.

I have had that piece for several years but just recently got freshly inspired.

The good thing about living in Oklahoma is that summer weather can last a month or more beyond the "official" end of summer so I still have time to sew these and more. I think what I am most disappointed about is that I haven't worked on a quilt this year. I started a quilt top that I had hoped to have nearly finished quilting by now but I've barely started sewing the top so I might spend some time working on that. I have so many quilt ideas. The hard part of that, for me, is getting the top done because I don't enjoy that as much as I do the quilting.

So how have your summer projects been going?

My New Favorite Dress

It's another Butterick 5748. (I know... I keep making the same two dresses over and over again, but LOVE!)

With pockets of course.

And here's the back. I really kind of hate showing this pic because I hate my arms and also, on this one, because I didn't bother trying to match the pattern and it came out a little goofy looking but... oh well.

I love this pattern, obviously since I keep making it, and I absolutely over-the-top love this fabric. The colors are amazing. But can you believe I finished it over a week ago and haven't even worn it yet? It's been cooler than normal for August and when I get dressed in the morning and it's only 64F I just reach for something else even though I know it would be fine later. But I will wear it soon.

Oops and Nice Recovery

I don't have a before picture. I photograph almost everything I make so I thought surely I had to have a picture of the dress somewhere but I didn't find one. Here's what happened. It was a simple A-line dress. I loved it, mainly for the fabric. I have a bit of a thing for ladybugs, you see. But it had a couple of problems so I didn't wear it very often. One problem was that the arm holes were a bit too small. Easy to fix, right? Well, perhaps I am a bit overconfident at times. When I got done "fixing" the arm holes they were way too big.

So for a while I pouted and tried to think of a way to fix them again. But the armholes weren't the only problem. The pockets were too small to be useful (I made it before I got a smartphone.) and I don't wear A-line dresses much anymore. So I decided to give it up and make something out of it for my granddaughter.

It's McCall's 9227. I lengthened the skirt because she's tall for her age but I might have lengthened it more than I needed to. I think it will be okay though. She often wears longish dresses and not just the ones I make. I will get to see her and give it to her this weekend.

Now I have just one problem: I no longer have a ladybug dress. I can't not have a ladybug dress. Must go fabric shopping.

* This was actually a while ago that I made this and I already have something else to show off but who knows when I will get around to it.

* * * * *

UPDATE:

It turned out to be a maxi. She loves it. Here she is watching the eclipse, wearing the dress and her dad's welding mask.

Happy Flower Faces

I don't have just one favorite color (at least not one long term favorite) but I must say, the color orange makes me ridiculously happy.

I liked the way this dress turned out so well that I did the same thing with the bodice on this one. The skirt though, is just a plain gathered skirt. It looks much longer in the picture than it actually is. It's just a bit below mid-calf.

And the faces? Here are the faces. I like that only a few random flowers have faces.

Here's the back of the dress. I am addicted to these scoop back dresses.

Before I made the dress I made this bolero or "shrug" as the kids are calling them these days. It's cotton voile with embroidered flowers and I sewed lace trim around the edges, just about an inch in from the edge.

I'm not 100% thrilled with it but it's okay and it might occasionally be useful. Hmmmm... I wonder if it meets the Congressional dress code.

One more thing - the shoes are Clark's Cloudsteppers and they're amazing.

The Future of Sewing

It's always fun to discover new sewing bloggers but this one is especially exciting. The sewist who blogs at Let's Get Sewing is only 14 years old and she's doing a great job at both sewing and writing about it. I'm guessing based on her spelling of some words that she's in the UK. That's one of my favorite things about the Internet - that I, a grandmother from Oklahoma, can connect with a teenager from the UK without even really trying.

Finally Sewing a Favorite Fabric

First, the fabric:

Isn't it fascinating? Vintage sewing machine and notions ads and corset ads! I love it. I have had this fabric for several years, maybe as many as ten. It doesn't seem like that long but time has a way of getting away from me. For a long time I was indecisive about what pattern to use. I finally decided on two patterns and here is the result:

The bodice is Simplicity 1803, view C and the skirt is Simplicity 1882. I eliminated the front bodice seam and notch and adjusted the neckline for my narrow shoulders. I lengthened the skirt to my preferred unfashionable length and made it slightly fuller. And I love it! It's not perfect but it's a pleasure to wear. You know how some clothes just feel right? This!

Here's a pic showing off the pockets. They're my favorite thing about Simplicity 1882.

It feels good to finish something that has been in the stash for so long. Now I'm ready to move on to some more recent and more colorful fabrics that have been speaking to me lately.

And Another New Look 6963

I think this is the last one of these I'll be making for a while.

I normally wouldn't choose a fabric with this much gray but this one is so cute and geeky. It's vintage control panel stuff with cute little faces hidden in it.

It's a nice, lightweight 100% cotton - perfect for a summer shirt. I don't wear shirts and trousers much in the summer though. Dress weather is here. I have only worn the last one I made twice so far. But once in a while I do want something like this and I like to have choices.

* * *

That picture of me above will be the last one taken on that deck because it's gone now. We demolished it to make way for something bigger and better - a huge building project that's going to take weeks at least. That has been occupying my mind lately to the exclusion of almost everything else but I have managed to finish another sewing project which I will post later.

Happy Colors

I'm tempted to call this one The First Dress of Summer, even though it's not officially summer yet.

I'm not sure standing in the shade was the best choice for this picture but I've learned from experience that standing in bright sunlight doesn't work out well either.

I used Kwik Sew 2671, my go to pattern for casual house dresses. I have made it at least a dozen times with various modifications. It has huge armholes because it's meant to be a jumper so I always raise the armholes about an inch for decency. This time I added the scalloped collar from an old blouse pattern and the border around the bottom of the skirt. This is the third (or is it the 4th?) time I have made this collar and I'm definitely getting better with scallops. This is the best so far.

And of course, pockets. I was going to make side seam pockets on this one but I didn't have enough fabric.

I actually finished this one over a week ago and then spent a few days being indecisive about what to sew next. Do you ever feel like you really need to sew some of the older fabrics in your stash but you really want to sew the newest ones? While I was being indecisive though, I did sew an adorable little shirt for my granddaughter using some "scraps". Then I finally decided to start another long shirt for myself with a piece that's not one of the oldest fabrics in my stash but not new either.

But I'm really in the mood to sew dresses and the shirt will be done soon so I need to decide what's next and it really doesn't matter, does it? It doesn't matter if a piece of fabric sits in the stash for years waiting for inspiration to strike because it always does, eventually. I think we all have these weird little feelings about what we're "supposed" to do and we usually don't even stop to think about whether they make sense or not. They are our internal rules and we have an urge to follow them and at the same time an urge to break them. We must always keep in mind that sewing is one of the safest places to break rules.

A Pretty Comfortable Outfit

This is another New Look 6963, my current favorite loose, comfortable shirt pattern.

I absolutely love it! The 100% cotton fabric had been in my stash for a year or two, I think. I had originally had in mind a shorter, more fitted blouse with short sleeves but I'm glad I changed my mind and made this instead. Sometimes you get an idea and you just know it's the right thing.

I also made the knit slacks.

Not much about them worth showing off but they are comfortable and the color goes with several tops that I already have. The fabric is a soft drapey 10 ounce cotton spandex from Nick of Time Textiles. You never can tell exactly what you're going to get when you order knits online. Even knowing the weight and percent of stretch doesn't tell you much because two fabrics that are allegedly the same weight and stretch can be vastly different. Anyway, I'm pleased with this fabric and the other one I ordered even though it's not exactly what I was hoping for.

One thing I was not pleased with was the shipping charges. Nick of Time is located in the northeast which means shipping cost is so ridiculous it almost seems criminal. Not blaming Nick of Time, not even really blaming UPS but I really wish someone out here in the middle of the country had a good selection of good quality cotton spandex.

Other than being made from a soft drapey fabric, they might be just a tad too long which would account for the wrinkles but they are comfortable and not so long that it will be a problem. When I worry about making things too short I make them too long and when I worry about making things too long I make them too short.

Just For Laughs

For that good laugh that we all need once in a while, have a look at these crazy fashion photos. Such innovation! Did you ever think of wearing a friend as a fashion statement? I don't know... it looks rather uncomfortable to me. Oh! I see bold stripes and see-through crochet dresses are still in style. (#6) Thank goodness for the classics, amiright? The left pic on #14 puts me in mind of Magritte. And there's a nice picnic dress on the last page! Most of this stuff though... I don't even know how to comment on it. Maybe some of you talented sewists and fashionistas will have more to say.

Fabric I Honestly Did Need

I went to the little quilt shop in town yesterday. It and Walmart are the only local places to buy fabric. Strangely, I managed to leave with only two pieces of fabric that I needed to go with fabric I already had.

The upper left fabric, I bought from eQuilter.com. I had originally intended to make a long sleeve tunic so I only ordered 2.75 yards but it is lighter weight than I had expected and I immediately thought, "light, breezy summer dress!" I could make a dress with only two and three-quarter yards but it somewhat limits my options so I thought about it for a while and soon decided that animal print would be the perfect thing to go with it. I bought two and half yards of the animal print, way more than I needed, because it was the last left on the bolt and it was 30% off if I bought it all.

The upper right fabric is also from eQuilter and also only 2.75 yards but for a different reason: that's all they had left. I always planned to use it for a dress and knew I would need something to go with it and so, the pink pin dot. I might make this one next. The weather has been horrible lately and I need to sew cheerful things.

Gathering II

Well, as they say, you're never too old to learn. If you were here last week you might have seen me being all angsty about gathering. I got some good suggestions and I was excited about the dental floss idea but for some reason I decided to try Marcy's suggestion first: always pull the bobbin thread. In 40 years of sewing nobody ever told me that. I don't think my mother knew that either because she always gathered by hand. Anyway, it worked. I gathered the skirt on the little floral print dress and the thread didn't break! Thanks, Marcy.

I'm the kind of person who is very embarrassed by and reluctant to admit to my mistakes and ignorance but if this can help someone else avoid 40 years of not knowing how to gather I can bear the shame.

Another Little Dress

I made another dress for my granddaughter using McCall's 9207. I really like this one. I like it so much I'm a little embarrassed to admit how much I like my own work. It looks a little odd the way it's laying in this photo but the rick-rack is placed exactly on the waist seam.

I added several inches to the length and it has pockets. You probably can't see them in the photo.

* * * * *

I added a ruffle to the first dress I made from this pattern, to make it long enough so here's that one. It's a bit of mess but it will be fine for a 3-year-old to wear for everyday play. (I plan to write a separate post sometime about my adventures with gathering - followup to my previous post on that topic.)

A Sweet Little Blouse

Nothing I wear can be honestly described as "little" but that's how I'm thinking of this one - "a sweet little blouse."

I love this fabric with its little roses on a pale pink background. I used some half inch clear buttons that I had in my button stash. I used to only buy buttons as I needed them but I'm finding that having a button stash makes life so much easier.

The pattern is Kwik Sew 3511, which I have used several times. This time I cut a facing for the hem and that worked out so much better with this curved hem. I could never get it to look quite right before. The fit of this pattern isn't the greatest and I know I should try harder to fix it but it's okay and I'm lazy and not very good at fitting.

Anyway, I love this blouse and I'm going to wear the heck out of it this spring and summer.

Fabric Lust

Somehow I always end up desperately wanting fabrics from three different online retailers at the same time. And Denver Fabrics is having a sale so it might actually be four. Husbands don't understand these things. They don't understand how you can have seven medium size plastic bins full of fabric, plus almost as much stuffed into the closet in its original shipping packages, and still need more. Yes, need. I needs it.