weekly photo challenge: escape

amongst the piles, current project is bright yellows/orange on tippy top of fabric piles & actually under the pressure foot

Borrowing from Urban Rustic, I think of this as my sewing slum, and it’s a delightful escape. Having spent so much time getting machines cleaned, & finding infrastructure (fabric, patterns, thread, bindings, ribbons, laces, buttons, interfacings, etc.) it’s such a pleasure to just sit down and sew.

Decided this morning to make up a seersucker fabric purchased last weekend. Am doing an extremely simple gathered straight shift with tie shoulder straps. It’ll do for either nightgown or house dress when it’s super hot… which is what I was vainly looking for this morning.

If you can’t find it/don’t have it, sew it! Which makes this not only an escape to a pleasanter, though decidedly crowded place, it’s also a process whereby to escape from heat, and add a needed item to me wardrobe.

Not bad for a Friday!

summer hat & fabric stash

can you see the brim’s been started?!

Spent lots of time this weekend going through fabric.  Now have all winter fabrics boxed up, awaiting Aug/Sept time frame.  And have all summer things boxed, with a lot of it washed-since-the-move and ready to cut out.  Phew!

After all that, plus getting me serger back and playing with it, just spent a lotta time crocheting in front of telly.  Hat’s almost done – yeah!

weekly photo challenges: from above & patterns

white-on-white & multi-veg cloths

Here’s one photo for both subjects, as it was taken from above the table, and displays pattern upon pattern. Note the white-on-white embroidery and edgings, plus the unusual shape of the white cloth (used in a bread bowl with each corner folded across said bread). Underneath is the tablecloth itself, also full of pattern, via the colourful veggies.  Things to come in Northern Hemisphere summer months!

Weekly photo challenge: pattern.

Weekly photo challenge: from above.

Happy Mother’s Day!

lovelies from Ms. Karen’s collection – how many are “Mother” pins?

Hope everyone has a lovely day!

saturday serger surprise

my serger – back home again & ready to go to work

My old BabyLock is still chugging along, and came out of storage needing nothing but a good cleaning. So it’s just reinstated to it’s place alongside the sewing machine, and I can’t wait to get started using it.

YEAH ! ! !

process, process, process… and impatience!

last nite was desperate to find 2 fabrics, so did this to closet floor… ignore black bin liners, please!

said 2 fabrics, found & laundered – both rayon

in less than 10 minutes just now, made 2 piles, winter (top) and summer (bottom)–dividing line is orangey winter velour

May I report, Dear Readers, that I do not like hot, humid weather? And possibly, as a consequence, don’t have many me-mades for said season??  There’s also the eternal problem of either Not Finding The Right Pattern, or Not Finding The Right Fabric. Am I the only one who struggles with these??? Puh-lease tell me I’m not!

At the moment, am sitting with me feet up by open windows, eating cake* & occasionally typing a word or two, virtuously awaiting laundry to complete its’ wash & dry cycles, totally ignoring the piles of fabric all over the bedroom closet floor.

Because, you understand, moi has decided, once laundry is done, to do a major sort out of The Stash and make 2 piles, Hot and Cold weather fabrics. Upon reflection, I’d thought about doing it before moving, but gave it up when massive indecision over what to pack, one item at a time, hindered the whole removals process. You know I didn’t want to make the mistake of ditching fabric, then later wishing I hadn’t.  ;-(    Now the move’s done, and hope the sort will be easier.

Later…

Can’t believe how quickly that 1 pile from last night’s rummage became 2 – it didn’t take 10 minutes! But something tells me that if I do what in my heart I know needs to be done – measure & note length, width & type of each fabric, and take it’s photo – there will be a lot more than 10 measly minutes gone. Maybe I’ll just begin with the summer fabrics, and leave the winter for later…

Read a quote somewhere recently from Ann R, winner of this season’s Great British Sewing Bee. She said that the preparation time of a project can seem to take forever, but is an essential part of the entire process. Hmm. Know she’s right, but it can seem very tedious indeed…

* Josée’s double chocolate muffins, with bran, so I can pretend I’m just eating a daily bran muffin – hehe!

pins & needles, & seam binding – horreurs!

70′s caftan

detail of birds on 100% cotton flannel, very soft hand

 

Yesterday it was rainy and the ironing board still not together.  Went to the fabric store instead, for basics like binding & piping, needles & pins. Mind you, that’s just after writing me talented friend Josée that I don’t much like binding.  (Maybe using some will warm the affections, huh?) The store’s fabric was uninspiring, which is not a bad thing, considering The Stash Here.

Got caught in a bit of rain coming home, and saw that caftan when I came in the door .  Not very wrinkley, so ready enough for lounging, and I was in the mood. The hem drags drapes a bit on the floor. Guess I’ll eventually lop some off. Probably. Possibly. We’ll see. It’s always nice to have a bit extra to cover toes.

from sewdaily.com

Bought a magazine instead of fabric: stitch, creating with fabric & threads. As it was labeled, “get organised this summer with 8 fun projects” and had 34 more “sizzling summer projects” I thought it might give me some ideas. It also included a double-sided sheet of patterns for some of the projects, and the web site has more. Now if only it would give me the impetus to do them.

At $14.99 USD I thought it expensive, but it seemed worth it for all the project ideas & templates. If any of you Dear Readers see a copy or already know the magazine, I’d love to know your opinion.

Hopefully, will have a nice surprise on Saturday.  Mmm… you’ll never guess!

busy weekend

got this off the floor & onto the wall – now have to decorate it with something…

summer hat – looks like a bowl, doesn’t it?

the side is forming!

2 more things off the floor

nice box of rubbish – more things off the floor!

Worked up a flannel caftan, too.  Just the basic: Sew the side seams (don’t forget to leave arm holes, like I did!), finish the 4 sides of the 2 pieces of fabric (cut to whatever length you want), decide which neckline to fool with (boat neck – sew straight across & leave a hole big enough for your head – don’t forget!). Easy peasy.  Photo after I’ve put the ironing board back together & given it a pressing!