It’s been a bit nuttier than normal around here. Why? Because I had a golden opportunity to share my stash with a lovely stranger — the mother of the chap who located my sewing machine last year — at the bottom of the last stack of boxes in the far back corner of my storage unit.
So I decided to go through everything, and it feels good to know these fabrics have gone to such a special lady, hopefully to nurture her love of sewing.
Now that my stash is considerably lighter, I’m realizing why it’s taken so long to shift mental climates and evaluate my wardrobe needs realistically.
(I often muttered to myself, “Geesh, you moved almost 2 years ago – what’s the holdup??)
That first year was spent in an unheated basement with very consistent temps: Cooler in summer and never above 60℉ in winter. (Not that I’m complaining – I prefer cooler temps in winter so I can wear winter clothes.)
Leaving that and having now spent a late summer, fall & winter in a much warmer building*, I’ve got a better idea of current wardrobe needs.
Now, the challenge is to start sewing!
Couldn’t resist these, from Hawthorne Supply Company, normally a quilting cotton shop. The left is cotton knit, whilst the right is Brussels washer yarn dyed. It’s a looser weave than anticipated, but should work nicely for summer. Some of their cottons are also available in other fabric types so I’m always checking! CLICK PIC TO GO TO SITE.
*My windows were open all winter unless wind blew directly in. I only turned heat on about 3 times.)
Eclipse fever has thoroughly gripped my area because Monday, 8 April, we’ll witness a rare total solar eclipse. That means the moon will block the sun for about 3.5 minutes, as the moon slowly crosses over (the sun), both in their normal orbits. Here’s NASA’s special page on it.
What’s that got to do with fabric or yarns?
I discovered and acquired a wee bit of eclipse-inspired fabric last week at Sew Creative , and have washed the 100% cotton piece. Even though the eclipse-inspired fabrics were in the quilting section, this feels lighter and is behaving very close to cotton lawn after washing. No patterns decided on yet, but I have it on good authority that the black makes a wonderful shirt. (Thanks, you-know-who-you-are!)
Right now Monday’s forecast is for partly cloudy skies, and a high about 58 F/15C. Probably just a tad too chilly to be wearing much cotton, unless it’s corduroy. So I’m not considering these as must-makes beforehand.
Meanwhile – stay wise and if you’re in the path – DO NOT look at the sun without proper eclipse glasses, except during those 3.5 minutes of total coverage – if you’re in the narrow band of totality!
Also, please be aware the internet will be excessively busy on Monday, which may cause internet outages anywhere in the world.
Below is NASA’s map with a timeline for the North American continent, and showing the narrow path for the total eclipse.
You can also click the map to go directly to NASA’s 2024 Eclipse Site.
Hello Lovelies! Long time~no blog. It’s been busier than usual round here with unexpected projects that didn’t include sewing. (Meeeh!) Some are resolved, some are on-going, but they haven’t stopped my thinking about wardrobe . . .
That’s what I was thinking about when I strayed into my all-too-local fabric store. You know what’s coming . . .
On the left are two 100% cottons that feel almost like lawn – wonderfully light and silky even though they were new bolts in the quilting section. (Gasp!)
Originally I was just looking for something to make a couple pairs of sleep shorts to go with 2 oversized tees I use as sleep shirts. But the fabrics are so soft I can’t stop thinking about other possibilities . . . . . .
The red rayon on the right (how’s that for alliteration? 🤣) looks to have been maturing in situ, waiting for me to grab the last 4 yards on the bolt. It washed beautifully and has a very luscious feel.
I’m thinking loose slouchy trousers & a top – maybe the Amalfi (by Masin). Has anybody made it? I’ve looked through IG but there’s not much about it, although there are lots of nice piccies.
If the universe will get off my back so I can sew!
Last winter was my first winter back in North country. Grateful for housing even in a 60° basement, my wardrobe was 2 LB Pullover fleece sweatshirts, 2 pairs of L.L. Bean flannel-lined trousers and 2 Bean long-sleeved turtlenecks, to which I added a thrifted red puffer jacket & vest. Plus a new pair of low-heeled boots.
The rest of my things were in storage, stacked haphazardly & in haste by some truckers. Now let’s skip to this past August’s move into this old & well-insulated (read hot) building.
The above photo is a much cherished piece of a soft, synthetic knit sent by a lovely friend in Edinburgh and immediately made into a midi skirt with slit. I just love it!
However, static cling is a big problem here in winter. And the skirt doesn’t have pockets. If I made a half slip out of a cotton or rayon I’m hoping that would help.
There’s only 1 seam in the skirt, so in-seam pockets aren’t a possibility. But! Somewhere around here I’ve got a long piece of the fabric left over, and I’m thinking maybe patch pockets would work.
But I’m concerned about this stretchy knit. Pockets I can line, but a phone in a pocket might make for a sagging skirt. Oh! How about if, instead of a slip, I did a lining? Might that alleviate the problem?
Any thoughts on the subject, Lovelies? All suggestions are welcome!
This past week I finally made time to have a listen, plus catch up with Lisa Woolfork‘s excellent Stitch Please podcasts, and Black Women Stitch. All of which I enjoy and learn from.
Now, about this fabric ~
I’ve long admired many of Julian’s fabric choices and learned some of his favorite online sources. Mood Fabrics is a given, but it’s so huge I’m often overwhelmed. Besides, I’m always on the lookout for something quirky, and who doesn’t ❤️ a bargain – he-hee!
One of the sites Julian mentioned was Amanda’s Bundles. The above photo is some french terry from their site, so deeply discounted that my 3-yard order almost equaled their basic $14.95 shipping. But I was in the mood, and it makes me smile.
Many thanks to Aaronica, Julian, Lisa, and everyone involved in these podcasts!!
Letting my fingers do some walking, I “went” to Evanston, Illinois – a suburb of Chicago, where family-owned Vogue Fabrics has been for 50 60+ years.
(When I lived in Chicago, I’d either take a commuter train or the subway up to Evanston. Both had stops next to each other & were about 2 blocks from the store – commuter heaven! Now they’ve moved to larger digs, and stock even more fabric.)
Am revising my sewing plans again, as these fabrics are also light weight, particularly the 2 knit prints. All 3 are still available, and here are their deets:
VF222-16 Tyros Garden – Red Flowers and Olive Stems on Lightweight Cotton Knit Fabric – Will also work with that solid olive fabric from this post.
VF223-07 Deities Stripe – Red and White Stripe Rayon & Spandex Knit Fabric (I disagree about this being heavy enough for bottom weight!)
Vogue includes this in their description of the last fabric: “”Kai uli is Hawaiian for deep blue sea, and ‘ula ‘ula is Hawaiian for the most sacred color – red.”
Which will lead into my next post, unless my current crochet project takes over and we have a finish. But I suspect not, as I need 1 more skein for edging & fringing. Meanwhile ~
Thanks to a friend, I’ve been watching the many fabrics carried by a quilting company, Hawthorne Supply Co. , plus I’ve a new-to-me pattern company to share.
Sometime last year Hawthorne started offering different fabrics instead of just quilting cottons. When I discovered they stocked a couple of solids in french (French?) terry, which I’d never tried, I was hoping they might make cozy late winter trousers. So . . . .
I washed the terry (on the right), which is lighter weight than I’d hoped. But not having seen or felt a French terry, I can’t judge. It does have good stretch for trousers, but I’m now thinking of a longish skirt instead.
The scissors fabric was labeled as a medium weight knit, but again, there’s no other indication of weight, and I haven’t laundered it yet.
Both selvedges are almost 2.5″ each, but the print itself is the full 58″ I’d ordered.
Overall, I’m pleased with the colors, and have revised my plan: This’ll be a late Spring/Summer/Early Autumn outfit instead of Winter.
Such is life in the Age of Online, eh? 🤪 Moving on, am thinking about red. . . . . . he-he-hee!
Here’s why – Over on IG there’s a very active international sewing group of thousands of women & men, #SewOver50, with many “challenges” to take part in, or not, as you choose. One of the challenges involves wearing red….
If you’re interested (and maybe not using IG) below are several online locations where you can get more information.
Australian pattern maker Lindy, of Stokx Patterns, who lives & works in Berlin, seems to be taking the lead with RED, and she’s working closely with the folks at #SewOver50, on IG. Check out Lindy’s website for some unique patterns, and see her blog for more about RED. She wrote~
“On a serious note it is about being visible and being worthy. This is just a safe space to step out of your comfort zone. It is also a very great reason to have a sewalong.
Please feel invited.
There is no pressure,
You don´t even have to make a red dress… just something a little bit braver than usual.
Even then, if you don´t have time you can still like, share and cheer on from the side lines.”
Roteskleid (Means Red Dress in German, but there’s also English text).
I discovered both whilst listening to a podcast from SewOrganisedSyle‘s Maria Theoharous, an Australian. Scroll down the linked page. There are two podcasts of approx. 20 min. each & they explain more. Below them you’ll see the RED announcement. And in case you’re interested…
Lindy has some great patterns on her web site… I’m hoping to get to the top version of The Hacker Dress soon. 🤞🤞
Dropping in to share a quick ScrapHappy project for my neighbour, a link over to Kate’s ScrapHappy post, and share another project just restarted for the umpteenth time.
Several weeks ago I was about to start downstairs in my building, when I saw my neighbour trying to manage 2 crutches, a booted foot, and some small packages before coming up the stairs.
.
We decided I’m come down first. On the way down I realised she needed a shoulder bag to put small bags in, and I had the very bag with me. A solution! I showed her what I had in mind and watched her easily and very adroitly balance herself upstairs.
Being a non-sewist, she had no idea how easy it was for me to make her a bag of her own… but a bit of thinking and we reasoned that a cross-body bag would be even better.
So that’s what she’s got, and it works a real treat. Mission accomplished! (Now I want one, too…. hehee! 🤣)
Over the weekend I had the urge to crochet, but I didn’t want to continue the project that’d been sitting untouched for weeks. What to do . . .
I ripped that forlorn-looking project down to zero and started over. And am happy to report it’s going great guns. At last I think I’ve found a good way to use this lovely yarn. Another little yippee!
My current slow-sewing-’cause-I’m-slammed project is a cross-body bag for my upstairs neighbor. She’s on crutches & currently has another cloth bag of mine, but it’s a shoulder version and can slip, messing with balance.
I know, ’cause I sometimes have the same problem when I’m carting heavy trash downstairs in my shoulder version!
I mean, can you imagine?! Up & down two looong flights of stairs on 2 crutches. AGHHHH!!!!!!!!
Better get these attached to something… catch ya later!
Curls n Skirls 
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