Thursday 25 December 2014

Merry Christmas

Our best wishes to you all for this holiday season and a safe, healthy, and contented New Year. 

Sunday 26 October 2014

Colder Days Ahead

It must have been Nicki's blog that pointed me toward Elsewhen's Craftsy shop and from there, the Daryn cloche.
I thought the lower right toque was a good place to start. 
The crown pieces were cut from the sleeves. (I was practicing my shivering when I took this picture. )


 

The brim from the body. I free handed the curve. 


The cap badge was a wood laminating experiment The Geek did a few years ago. We had no idea what to do with it until now. (We both have strange stashes of all sorts of things. )


The finished object. 

From many different angles. 


The hat is sitting on a balloon on top of a glass. 

It's so much easier to take pictures of something when it is sitting still (on the ironing board) that to attempt selfies of yourself 
The hat made its formal debut as I marshaled for the ShimanoCyclocross  Championships held her this weekend on a lovely fall day. 
How would you like to come down this hill or rather, riverbank, on a bike? (I'm standing behind the barricade that prevents riders from flying into the river. )I climbed down on the right and was so glad I wore my hiking boots. There were crashes only in the first two (of three) races I marshaled  with no serious injuries. 

Sunday 19 October 2014

Sewing Smalls Flat -the Instructions

 Back in early July I sewed myself some knickers from a pattern made from an existing pair. I took pictures so I would remember how to do it, but had yet to write up the instructions. Since I am going to eventually make more (once this lovely fall weather succumbs to the inevitable winter; {please, take your time, winter}), I thought I should quickly do it now.

1) Cut the fabric (front, back, leg bands (2), waist band, crotch (2)). I used two different colours to ease demonstration.


2) Pin the back of both of  the crotch piece to the back piece, with the back piece sandwiched between the two crotch pieces.

3)Pin the front of one of crotch pieces to the front piece. Roll up the front and back pieces so they sit against the back crotch pinned area/seam. (Note: it may be easier to sew the back seam so nothing slips. By this point I had sewn a few so I was combining steps.)

(Front and back pieces rolled up between crotch pieces.)
4) Pin the second crotch piece to the front piece, sandwiching the front piece between the two crotch pieces.

(Front and back pieces sandwiched between crotch pieces.)
 5) Sew/serge one/both crotch seams.
Front and back pieces still rolled between (now serged) crotch pieces.)
 6) Pull the front and back from between the crotch pieces.

(Seams are now hidden between the two crotch pieces.)

(Seams are now hidden between the two crotch pieces, both sides.)
 7) Fold one leg bands in half lengthwise and sew/serge to one leg opening.
(Leg band stitched to one leg opening.)
8) Sew/serge the side seam on the banded side.

9) Attach the second leg band to the second leg opening. (You could do both leg openings at once, but don't close both side seams.)
(Attached leg bands with one side sewn.)

(Closed leg.)
 10) Fold the waistband in half lengthwise and sew/serge it to the waist.
(Waistband attached.)
 11) Sew/serge the second side. Trim threads.
(Completed.)
 
I ended up top-stitching around the serged seams to re-inforce and to have the seams lay flat.

Thursday 25 September 2014

Seven Random Facts

I would like to thank Philippa, the lovely author of Gloria and Me, nominated me for the the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.

I am very touched and therefore pleased to offer, in no particular order, seven random facts about me.
 
- Reading was the best thing I ever learned how to do. I still prefer books to e-readers and maps to GPS. 

- My eye colour changes from very dark, when I am my normal myself, to almost clear when I am tired or unwell.
 
- Curried tuna salad (tuna, mayonnaise, curry paste, cucumber relish, hint o' garlic) with sorrel is my favourite sandwich.
 
- I have OIADD* and so do most of my colleagues. That's what happens when you are trying to make your brain do too many 'urgent' things at once. People in my line of work usually acquire this condition in less than two weeks.
 
- I started sewing when I was nine years old and even with 40 years experience, I confess I am a lazy seamstress. I doubt I will ever make a couture garment simply because I don't have the required attention span. (see #4.)
 
-  Like Philipa, I am very content. I have been very fortunate and I am fully aware of my good fortune. I am healthy and so is my family. I grew up in the best place on earth with caring, loving, role-model parents. My friends are interesting and interested. I have a job that pays for my life and habits (rowing, sewing, books, cycling, thrift stores), has enabled me to give back to my community, and to travel to many parts of the world.
 
- My feet have grown two full sizes in the last 30 years. I have also worked in the health care field for the last 30 years. I wonder if the two are related?

I will have to take a rain-check on nominating others -I'd have a hard time choosing only seven. If you feel like posting seven random things about yourself, please consider yourself nominated -I love reading little tidbits about others. Please leave a link in the comments so I can read them!
 
*Occupationally Induced Attention Defecit Disorder. This us not a medically recognized disorder-yet. 

Monday 15 September 2014

OWOP; Sewaholic Hollyburn

 One Week, One Pattern. My choice; Sewaholic Hollyburn.

Saturday, September 6; View A- Lady Adler.

Sunday, Semptember 7; View B -Birthday Hollyburn

 Monday, September 8; View C -Ikea Hollyburn

Tuesday, September 9; View B - brown corduroy. It's chilly out but I refuse to wear tights (it's still early September dammit,) so I'll wear leggings instead.

Wednesday, September 10; Ikea Hollyburn and tights. I wouldn't care so much about the *^&^%&^ tights except there is a frost warning for tonight and too many farmers have crops that haven't finished ripening yet, much less been harvested.

Thursday, September 11; Lady Adler - and it didn't freeze last night. Hooray!

 Friday September 12; View C- denim Hollyburn. It's Friday and I'm off to visit my parents after work. I love being at the farm.
 This skirt is quick to make and easy to fit. I may have mentioned this before so that no doubt explains why I have so many (plus the Owls version I didn't wear this week).

How did everyone else make out?

Tuesday 2 September 2014

Birthday Hollyburns

My office partner and I share a birthday. Being of a like mind, we decided to see if people noticed if we dressed as twins. But we couldn't be too obvious. 
So one lunch hour we scooted to Northwest Fabrics and found similar fabrics and I made Hollyburns for us both. 





Sunday 17 August 2014

The Nostalgia Dress. Sub-titled: Mapping a Mash-Up

 
ETA: Something resembling a sentence in my opening line. The first attempt made no sense at all.

I like my Sewaholic Cambie, but there is one thing about the bodice I'm not keen on - I find it rather open at the neckline.

When I decided to make use the map fabric for another dress, I decided I'd use the Cambie, but with a different bodice front.


I've always liked the look of Vogue 1136 and have had it in my stash for quite some time. But I don't like the back-it's far too casual considering the glamorous picture on the envelope. The front however has sleeves closely resembling those on the back bodice of the Cambie, so with that, I had the bodice of my dress. Then I decided I wanted a fuller skirt then the one on the Cambie, so brought out the New Look 6843. But added the Cambie's pockets -I like skirts with pockets. So it is still kind of a Cambie. If you are very liberal minded, that is.


In the pictures the front looks better than the back, but I think it's the way I'm standing.


The front armhole is rather square -I'll round it into more of a curve next time. I think I would also make it a touch longer.


I like the way my new 'Cambie' turned out. The fabric is a nice weight and the map makes me happy. I like maps and they seem to be fading from usage, no doubt due to the adoption of the GPS. I find that a huge pity given the one time I used a GPS (I was driving my sister's car) it insisted I was not driving on a road. The technology was outdated and could have been a problem for someone who didn't know the route.

Whenever I can find them, I still collect maps of places I have been. Maps give me a more complete view of any place I've been and I can't see how a GPS can ever replicate that.

Thursday 14 August 2014

OWOP -the Monday to Friday Version

Jane has proposed  'One Week One Pattern' for September. Here is my trial run.
 
The pattern: New Look 6843 view A.
 
 
Monday: My giraffe skirt.
 

Tuesday: one of the original trio.


Wednesday: red linen/cotton version.


Thursday: oops -no photo but it is another linen blend.

Friday: another original trio version with the green t-shirt.


I also wore the same skirt on Saturday with the orange t-shirt. That wasn't part of the plan, but on my way to Vancouver Island my flight out of Calgary was cancelled due to bad weather. I always carry a change of clothes in my carry-on, so orange it was.
 
That was fun but I may run with the Hollyburn in September, so there is something different to look at.

Saturday 2 August 2014

While it Chills my Soul to Do So...

...I do need to plan for winter. And after the awful winter we last had (July was also below normal temperature wise), I still should plan for the upcoming one. 
To whit, when I was on Vancouver Island last week I stopped at Gala Fabris in Victoria and bought some wool. In Bright Colours. I may have to live with the cold but at least I won't be drab. 

I pre-washed it this morning and no sooner had I draped it over the line when it started to rain. I just went to bring it in now  and we had a brief (10-drop) shower so it will have to hang a while longer. 

Saturday 5 July 2014

The Foxy Dress

This will be a brief post. I spent a good part of the day at the dump in the heat and I'm a little knackered ( a British term, but I love it!)
 
I finished this dress Thursday morning. It's been in the works a few weeks (?months) and I am glad to be able to now wear it.
I have very few pictures of me wearing the dress -the city is enduring a serious mosquito infestation and the less time spent standing still the better. Cue the sour face.

 

I originally cut it out during Sew Dolly Clacket. It is a mash-up of two vintage patterns. The neckline and skirt of Style 4980 and the under-bus gathering of Style 4892. I raised the neckline an inch or so or it would not have been at all work appropriate.


The fabric- Ed Emberley for Cloud 9 Picture Pie Fox quilting cotton. The first time I saw a picture of the fabric the back ground looked more gun-metal gray and I think it would have looked better with a slightly darker background. Nonetheless, I still think it is pretty cute.


I lined the bodice in beige cotton- the same stuff I've used to line my last few dresses.


 
I made no attempts at pattern matching but still one fox is almost perfectly aligned on the front center.

 


A cool and comfortable summer make. Given its name it should qualify for Oonapalooza but its still a little tame for that. Maybe I could consider it part of Heather's Sundress Sew-A-Long?
 
Now I really need should work on some tops.