sewing, sorting, & baking

Well, I could blame it on witness 2 fashion…

She did a great post about pyjamas!

But truth be told, have been thinking about them since Ali’s jumpsuit challenge in May somehow combined in my head with my 2 pair of sleep shorts (here & here) that I’ve worn constantly (indoors only!) this summer.

just need to remove that stiff cotton neck binding & adjust top of sleeves a bit

see how the neck binding stands out along the bottom? might trim that a bit, so it stays flat

the hem’s done!

After making that third pair (top), it seemed natural to give a whole outfit a try. If I could just get back to finishing this blouse’s sleeves… Definitely don’t want to keep that neck binding, either. Too stiff by half! Meanwhile, mending summer & getting out transitional continues. . . 😴

Decorating for Autumn? Hallowe’en? Look at all the lovely patterns over on Pattern Patter.

Spent time last week sorting & labeling haberdashery and fabrics. Makes  final fabric sorting much easier. (click a pic to see the whole photo)

Thinking about baking? Know I am, partly because we’re finally getting to see “The Great British Bake Off.” But . . .

In their infinite wisdom (?), American public broadcasting services (pbs) is airing seasons chronologically. Backwards. And they re-named the programme: The Great British Bake Off is “The Great British Baking Show” over here.

Here’s a key to what’s what on our side of the pond.

• British Series 5 was shown here as Series 1 in early 2015, and is currently being re-run.
• British Series 4 is currently showing in U.S. as Series 2.

I discovered that both Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood have written scads of cook books, and both have lots of listings on YouTube.

Wednesday is the official start of Northern Hemisphere’s cooler seasons, and it can’t begin soon enough for me! How about you?

Edited to add: If you haven’t seen Did You Make That’s post today, do! It’s all about fitting.

a bit of summing up

Thought there’d be a post about a blouse (Butterick 5432) to match the rayon pedal pushers (left) I love so much. Had enough fabric & decided I needed one.

But sadly no, other events overtook it before I got the sleeves finished & a piccie taken.

Will make do with some bits & pieces ~ although to be fair, there’s been mending going on, but I shan’t bore you with that.  LOL!

😴

 

Another idea for that digital pink …

Do you think something similar to the Stardust Skirt from Decades of Style would work?

Tanya, over at Mrs. Hughes, has a fantastic version that got me thinking.

If you use IG (I don’t but peek every blue moon), here’s another …

Don’t know that I’d cut out & appliqué the pattern, as I’m always pushed for time (and basically lazy). 😉

the wooden yard stick is above the 1 complete pattern rep

However, the 30″ skirt length would definitely allow for the pattern’s height.

I’d place the skirt panels along the pattern’s bottom edge, similar to their layout, which gave me the idea.

Those pieces would need to be on the straight grain, but hopefully I could position them very close together.

Do you think it would work?

Am still dithering, but leaning, definitely leaning . . .

What’s up for my weekend? Who knows!

Hope yours will be relaxing and productive.

😀

Update: Just posted some city photos over on my other blog…

quick question, lovely sewers!

Please take a look at these piccies and tell me if I’m daft… thank you!  💕💕

Edited on 10 Sep to add: This is a silk digital print & correspondingly slippery!

Would like to use as much of this border print as I can

 

 

 

See those 2 lines across the sleeves of both front & back?

D’you think I could use those as cut lines, and piece this un-used section of the border???

 

tea, chocolate, & other connections

Friday I tossed the schedule, pulled up to my laptop, watched the 2014 “Mapp & Lucia” on YouTube, enjoyed tea & chocolate, and Let the Holiday Begin!

Then I pulled out a pattern gifted by the lovely Tereza (Sewing for Me) during a winter swap and matched it with a gifted silk fabric from Samantha (Sewinloveuk). Funny how connections get made in sewing.

pattern from Tereza (making the blue, bottom right)

fabric from Samantha

Also spent an inordinate amount of time on several new projects due in October/November time frames . . .   c’est la vie! 😀

This is submitted also for the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge.

 

about that teal/green/turquoise rayon . . . the one with that 30’s pattern!

It’s Saturday, and a holiday weekend for the U.S., in honor of labor (labour for those in other countries).

It generally marks the unofficial/official end of summer: pools close, everyone in New York City & Chicago get out their (fake) furs, and everyone everywhere puts away summer straw hats, thongs, and shorts in favour of warmer things…

Not so everywhere, as more 90’s with corresponding humidity are forecast for the coming week.

Which makes me glad I finally got round to making these lounge pants-that-may-become-shorts, depending on how hot it gets and how I feel.

Believe it or not it was almost fun doing the French seams. Felt strange to stitch wrong sides together, and I almost got that curved seam wrong, but managed to bend my mind the right way to set things straight!

on the ironing board, ready for pressing – did LOTS of pressing, Ali!

bernina #5 foot for top stitching

hint: look carefully at seams & colours

how’s that for a good French seam, Samantha? did I do good?? (worriedly)

I took my time with this make, and hopefully didn’t disgrace meself too badly. What’s your verdict, Samantha? Can I graduate to a kimono?!

sunday sewing

My sewing table Sunday afternoon . . .

new sleep shorts – done & wear-tested! copied the directions to keep with my pattern so they’ll go quickly

curious how i can ignore this if there’s something i really wanna get done

projects & projects . . .

and MORE projects!

Once that pair was done, decided to begin the second pair, and had planned to French seam them.

I’d overlocked all the edges Saturday, and thought on Sunday that I’d try getting out my zipper foot to get really close to the edge on that first seam.

Nope. Got off track after a couple of inches and had to rip out.

Then turned the machine back on to begin sewing again… but forgot to re-position the needle.

my needle box

One broken needle. OUCH!

Then panic began as I couldn’t seem to get the new needle to line up with the threader.

The dealer I’d gone to several years ago has just closed. I began imagining life without a functioning sewing machine.

!  !  !  !  😱 !  !  !  ! (silent wails of horror)

Took a long time out… ate chocolate… did a few stretching exercises… watched a bit more of the original version of “Cold Comfort Farm” on YouTube … and finally went back to the machine.

Turned the wheel just a bit before switching on, and heard the usual snap into position as I flicked the switch.

I saw the needle go up in the correct position, the threader worked, and I heaved a HUGE sigh of relief.

But decided to re-think those French seams. 😊

haven’t gotten back to these quite yet

rainbow reincarnation

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subtle reincarnations

subtle luv ~ ickle hang loop!

subtle luvin ~ skinny elastic waist & oh-so-easy, no-sew “hem”!

“a photo that feels understated, suggestive, subtle in its use of colour”     Ailsa’s travel theme

Maybe I’m straying a bit from Ailsa’s original challenge, which was all about colour. This is more about texture and detail, other  details that can make or break an item of clothing.

Last year’s subtle green flowered dress has held up well. And for me, the paler green is subtle!

As to texture – the rayon hasn’t pilled or stiffened, and is still buttery soft. Time to use that extra fabric for the shorts I’d thought about making last summer.

But, wait. There’s enough fabric for trousers. Why not? If they don’t get worn, I can always chop them off.

So I made the long version, and have been wearing them ever since.

Just as the subtle drape and texture of the fabric & style makes the dress so easy to wear, they continue with the trousers.

And there’s still a bit of the fabric left… a cami?

about the pattern
They’re a front and a back from a pair of old flannel pjs from L.L. Bean, bought years ago whilst living n a very windy, cold city. Last winter I realized I wasn’t wearing them because they were so worn. Bit how to reincarnate??

After much debate with self (why is it so hard to cut into RTW???), I carefully cut out a front piece & a back piece. And used them as the pattern for the darker green flannel pj bottoms sewn earlier this year. (Being worn as I edit.) And used again for these comfy summer pj bottoms. How’s that for reincarnation!

green flannel~done!

love my hanging-up ribbon tab!

The green double-napped flannel has been test worn, and the 3/8″ elastic suits nicely.

They’re miles too wide, which adds to their at-home-only comfort, but leaves me reluctant to do a piccie!

Below is a bit of a mystery fabric. It’s 100% poly, very soft & lightweight, and it’s been my security blanket this season. It was a gift from my lovely mate Samantha last Christmas, from Marks & Spencer (wow! I own an RTW from M&S!).

If I could clone it, I’d have multiples, in varying colours.

But I haven’t located a single thing to come anywhere close to this fabric. Do these piccies remind you of any ?

 

fab mystery fibre

decorative ribbon on collar

can you see the seam?

big, but light weight, plus 3 layers fit underneath!

a bit here, a bit there…

white serger/overlocked edge shows great contrast. glad those seams didn’t need unpicking!

crickey! see how the green thread disappears into the fabric?!

Those green pj bottoms got finished last night. The ones that got picked apart about 3 times. Whilst sewing them up the last time, I realized how grateful I was for having used white thread on the previous efforts. Sometimes it pays to use the thread already in the machine, particularly when it’s such great contrast.  🙂

Might explain that this cotton flannel is double napped, meaning both sides are brushed and soft. Makes the fabric feel a little heavier and softer.

Will post a completed pic later. Am test-wearing these today, checking elastic waist. Will also show you the surprise hanging loop ribbon I tucked in at the back. hehe!

Now on toward getting that orange renfrew completed…