Somebody Noticed Me!

So here I am thinking it would probably be overly optimistic to think I have three readers - in other words, feeling kind of lonely here. But then I see this Blogger Recognition Award at Swarm of Chickadees and I think, "Yay, another list where I might find some sewing blogs I didn't know about." So I look at the list and - shock, awe, immense gratitude - my humble little blog is on the list! Thank you so much.

Now there are five things I'm supposed to do.

1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog. Done, but thank you again, Swarm of Chickadees.

2. Write a post to show your award. Working on it right now.

3. Give a brief story of how your blog started. I have actually had a blog since 2002. Not a sewing blog, just a place to post whatever comes to mind, including sewing but a year or two ago (I can't remember when exactly) I decided I should have a blog exclusively for sewing so I started by copying some of my favorite sewing posts from my other blog. That's why my archives go back to 2008.

4. Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers. 1. Make sure your blog is easily readable. You could have the greatest blog in the world but if it's difficult to read because of, for example, light gray text on a white background which seems to be strangely popular right now, a lot of people won't be coming back. Also make your photos as large as possible. 2. This is a piece of advice that I really need to remember myself: Don't get discouraged if it seems like nobody notices you. I once read somewhere that 90% of people who read blogs never comment. That sounds like a made up number but I believe it's true that the majority of readers never comment whether it's 90% or 70% or whatever. That doesn't necessarily mean nobody cares about what you're doing. You could have inspired someone and never know it.

5. Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to. I don't know if I can do 15; I don't think there are even that many that I regularly read but I'll just start posting my favorites and not even count how many there are.

Cari Homemaker - She's back! She sews and shows off beautiful dresses she makes for herself and clothes she makes for her lovely children.

But It Can't Be From Dolly Clacket, She Gave Me an Easter Egg! - What a curious and interesting blog title. And I love her! Roisin's style is very similar to my summer style and I admire the way she uses novelty prints, something I love but tend to be a bit timid about.

Lucky Lucille - Lots of great stuff even though Rochelle's style differs somewhat from mine. By the way, Lucille is her beautiful dog that she occasionally posts pictures of.

Pretty Grievances - The grand comedienne of the sewing blog world. Everyone knows Anne I'm sure. Also, she's an enabler. I have bought at least one pattern because of her and someday I am actually going to use it.

A Dress a Day - This was the first sewing blog I found and for several years the only one I knew about.

Artful Blasphemy - Colorful and inspiring. I wasn't sure if it's okay to include this one or not as it's more a fashion blog than a sewing blog.

By Gum By Golly - Awesome retro style sewing blog.

Flashback Summer - Another retro and vintage blog.

Oona Balloona - So much personality! I love her!

Living in Color

Wanna Be Sewing Something

A Colorful Canvas

Roses in the Jungle

It's Jungle January 2017! I honestly didn't think I would be participating this year but I saw this gorgeous print at Girl Charlee so... here we are.

The fabric is a rayon blend knit and I have to confess, I do not enjoy sewing rayon. It's almost like a living thing that's trying to get away from my horrible pins, needles, and scissors. But I couldn't pass this up and I think it turned out okay. It's wearable at least. The pattern is Butterick 5215, plus long sleeves.

It warmed up enough yesterday to go outside without a coat so here's an outdoor pic.

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About a couple of background items in the first photo: The piece of furniture is a gate-leg table that my husband built for me. Folded up, as you see it here, it's only 18 inches by 48 inches; open, it is a little over two yards long.

The picture on the wall... I don't usually frame puzzles but this one was a special case. My younger son gave it to me for Christmas over 10 years ago. I can't remember exactly what year. I used to like puzzles but this one was the most difficult I have ever done and I haven't done another since. It took years to finish it and when I finally did I just couldn't take it apart again so I got a frame (which as you can see doesn't fit) and hung it in our spare bedroom which serves as an occasional guest room, play room for the grandkids, craft room, and (mainly) junk room.

Here's a look at the whole thing. Sorry about the glare.

It's All About the Fabric

Here it is - my last make of 2016.

I actually finished this, except for the buttons and buttonholes, a couple of weeks before Christmas but didn't get around to that last little detail until a few days after Christmas. The pattern is Simplicity 8166, modified with a standard shirt collar and, of course, pockets. The gorgeous fabric is a Klimt inspired quilting cotton from eQuilter.

Mostly, I love it. A while back I decided I wanted to try wearing leggings and tunics because I thought they would be amazingly comfortable. In reality it hasn't been working out so well. Leggings and the loose tunics like this feel sort of weird and wrong but this is my favorite leggings outfit so far (leggings purchased at a local store) and I'm going to keep trying for a while longer to get used to wearing them.

Here's the back of the tunic. I love everything that's going on in this fabric - so many beautiful colors and interesting shapes.

Two Finished Projects

Hello? Hello? Anybody out there?

Now that Christmas is over I can show off the two quilts I've been working on and yes, I did finish both of them in time to give them for Christmas. I don't have a good place to display quilts for photographing so I got just a corner of each. This first one was a gift to my grandson. (age 17) He loved it.

And this one went to my brother-in-law (husband's brother) and his wife. This is the one that took me forever to finish and I wasn't entirely happy with the way it turned out but they loved it and were very impressed. (It's easy to impress people who don't quilt.)

And now it's time to get back to regular sewing and start the next quilt. After being so busy for weeks I hardly know what to do with myself now but at the same time I don't feel really motivated by any particular project or idea. It might take me a few days to get started on something.

Someone once called the week between Christmas and New Year's "the quiet week at the bottom of the year." I like that - a week in which it's okay to just do nothing, (or as little as possible) to reflect, to re-group, to read a book and drink hot tea, or just sit back and watch the Mythbusters mega-marathon. (or whatever series you like to binge on) It sort of seems like a bonus week. So, whatever you're doing with your bonus week, happy new year and happy sewing and crafting.

Creepy Christmas Cards

Hello all. No sewing to show off right now. Sewing clothes has recently taken a back seat to quilting as I try to finish two(!) quilts by Christmas. I have successfully completed one. The other? Not looking too good right now.

Anyway, I really just wanted to share this collection of weird Victorian Christmas cards. (50+) Some of them are cute but most are like "What the H__?!" and a few are seriously creepy. Which is your favorite and which one most creeps you out?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone.

Ideas? Opinions? Tips?

I have this medium-heavy "stretch" twill fabric that, in fact, has hardly any stretch at all. Six inches of fabric (crosswise) stretches to maybe seven inches. I was going to make jeans but I must have a decent amount of stretch in my jeans and trousers so now I'm thinking about making a skirt. The problem? I want to line it and I don't know what kind of lining to use. Should I look for something with the same amount of stretch or should I just treat it like a non-stretch fabric and have a non-stretch lining?

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More info: Here's the pattern I'm thinking of using, view C, the middle one. (Butterick 6418; I meant to capture the entire envelope in the picture but I missed.) It's an old pattern, 3 sizes too small but I'm confident in being able to upsize it it.

And this is just an idea I have right now. I had a black one like this years ago and I loved it but now skinny skirts are a little outside my comfort zone especially ones that are open to mid-thigh. Still, at the moment I'm really liking the idea. (By the way my fabric is bright pink.) I would always wear it with tights, thus the need for a lining so it won't cling. The fabric is heavy enough that it might actually be okay without a lining but I would hate to get it made and discover that I should have lined it.

Thoughts?

Really Quick Leggings Post

I actually had a lot more to say about these but I'm in a bit of a rush. I found this wonderful, buttery soft stretch "ultra-suede" and immediately knew I had to have some leggings out of it.

That's how they will appear in public but you want to see more don't you? No, you just think you do. You really don't.

Okay, fine. Here's my "sexy leggings pic". I hope this doesn't spoil anyone's appetite on the day before Thanksgiving.

Pattern: McCall's 6173, with a lot of fitting tweaks.

Underneath It All

Isn't it funny how we get used to new things and after a while it feels like the new things are the way it's supposed to be? I clearly remember back in the 70s, watching TV with my mother and seeing a Bali bra commercial on TV. They were showing beautiful, happy models wearing Bali bras and they bragged about the wonderful, natural shaping and Mom said something about how it would make you look like you weren't even wearing a bra. I didn't have as strong an opinion as she did about it but I tended to agree with her. I was young and still happy to even need a bra and I didn't want to wear anything to reduce the appearance of what little I had.

Fast-forward to the present. Now almost all bras are the more rounded "natural" shape and the few that are not get reviews on Amazon complaining that they are "too pointy" and "cone shaped" as if that was the most horrible clothing faux pas in the world.

Recently Tasha wrote about sewing retro bras and linked to her earlier post about retro bras. Now this got me interested in trying one myself. My fitted dresses and blouses never seem to fit quite right and it occurred to me that maybe a different shaped bra would make a difference.

The main limitation I have is that I am absolutely fanatical about having seamless cups so making my own is probably not going to happen. Fortunately, we have Amazon reviews and sometimes it's the negative reviews that are most helpful. By reading a whole bunch of these reviews I managed to find two retro shaped bras that are also seamless. Both are Playtex brand.

This one has unlined cups and the sides and back are wider than normal. I'm probably not going to be able to wear this with anything sleeveless. Also, I get just a bit of wrinkling on the cups but, overall, it's not too bad. It's wearable, at least in the winter.

And here's the other one. It's my favorite of the two. I think it will work fine for summer clothes although it is lined, which can be a good thing or a bad thing just depending.

Now, I hope you're still reading because here's the funny thing. When I first tried these on I was a bit freaked out. These bras don't look pointy at all on the models in the pictures but when I looked down at the girls I was like, OMG! they're so pointy! I thought, "I can't wear these in public; everyone will be staring at my pointy boobs." But when I looked in the mirror it didn't look quite so bad so I decided to keep them and give them an honest try. After wearing each of them for a whole day I was sold. My clothes definitely fit more like I feel they're supposed to.

I bought several more of the second one and for about a week it was the only style of bra I wore. Then I put on one of my modern shaped bras and a strange thing happened. I felt like it looked kind of wrong. Actually a little bit gross. Now don't get me wrong. I don't think modern bras are gross or that anyone else looks gross when you wear them. It's just how I felt about myself wearing one after a week of wearing so-called "pointy" bras. It's really funny how easily we get used to things and then whatever we're used to seems right.

I'm Sorry

I don't do politics here but I feel an irrational urge to apologize to the world for the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, even though I didn't vote for the guy and I know I'm not personally responsible. But when I think of the rest of the world watching I am embarrassed. Please don't think too harshly of us. In fact, slightly more than half of voters did vote for Clinton but we have this weird thing that most of us don't fully understand called the Electoral College.

I am worried but I am sure we will survive. We always do somehow. Now back to sewing. There will be sewing posts soon, I promise.

Happy Colors

I love this shirt! In this shirt I shall go forth into a world overwhelmed with grays and browns* and spread light and happiness wherever I go, even if it's only the happiness of getting to say you can't look at me without sunglasses.

Here's a close-up of the fabrics. The colors in this photo are reasonably accurate, at least on my screen, except the yellow, streaky fabric is a bit more orangey in real life.

The main fabric was a two-yard piece I purchased at a local quilt shop. For a long time I wasn't sure what to do with it. That store always has a lot of one and two yard pieces that always tempt me. They usually end up being sleeveless or short sleeved tops. I can't really remember my thought processes with this but after having it for a few months I somehow decided it needed to be a Simplicity 1538 so I went back to the same store to look for the contrast fabric. I originally wanted something predominantly the sort of harvest gold color in the main print but I didn't find anything like that and settled on this bright orange-yellow. I'm glad I chose it because I love the way it turned out.

This is the second time I have made Simplicity 1538. It's a good basic shirt pattern, relaxed fit but not sloppy. The sleeves are a little longer than I like. Somehow I always end up with sleeves a little too long or a little too short. They're also a little bit too loose at the cuffs but, overall, acceptable.

*The grays and browns of nature haven't taken over yet. It's been almost as warm as summer here and the grass and foliage are still ridiculously green for November. I'm not complaining.