I love being a grandma!

The last few days have been filled with grandmotherly opportunities.  On Wednesday we attended the kindergarden graduation of one of our grandsons.  Kindergarden graduation in the south is a real event!  The 6 year olds marched into the gym wearing full caps and gowns to the strains of Pomp and Circumstance.  After a song to demonstrate their musical talents the stuents marched accrss the field as thier names were called and accepted thier diploma from the teacher.  Afterwards we celebrated with a trip to the graduate’s favorite resturant…Cracker Barrel, where he showed off his 6″ Graduate button and his autograph graduate cap wearing dauchaund.

Saturday was filled with family.  3 DD and families which include 3 6yo DGS, 1 9yo DGS and 1 12 going on 20 DGD.  The day was filled with fun which included swimming in the hot tub (yes, 6 yo boys can turn summersaults and do cannonballs in a 4 person hot tub!), water ballon fights - which included DDs and many games of “baseball”, soccer, and football.  We picniced in the yard and even had a birthday party for one of the DGS.  At 10pm we fell into bet exahusted.

At 6am we were up and running packing the car.  We left Nashville for Valdosta, GA on our way to Disney world with DD #1 and family which includes 2 DGS.  We are now looking forward to 7 days of fun in Florida and our day will begin again tomorrow at 6am.  I am sure I will return home one tired but happy grandma!  I’m having a blast!

 

Another Stitch or Two

This weekend I was leading a class for our ASG chapter.  We are trying to hold a few classes to mentor beginning sewists in our group and to invite others who would like to sew to join us.  The pattern selected was the reversible apron pattern from the Paisley Pincushion.  this is an excellent pattern for beginners.  It offers many opportunities to practice straight and curved seams without the need to worry about fit.  Also, no little edges to turn or anything to bind.  Never being one to leave well enough alone, we did add the use of Steam-A-Seam Lite 2 to the construction process.  So much easier for a beginner to sew on a pocket when it’s already bonded firmly in place.  One of our students was just 9 years old and she did a fabulous job with her apron.  Her choice of fabric was just adorable..Yellow sparkly with butterflies and purple sparkly as the contrast.  Since I don’t have her momma’s permission (forgot to ask) I won’t post her picture here but  I will post the two aprons I made, one as a sample, and the other which went to the lesson in strategic stages for demonstration which was later finished.  And you can get a look at my messy sewing table too.

Then later, I made myself a knit top from some cute fabric ordered from Vogue fabrics.  As I began to cut it out I realized the selvedge was too cute to cut off so it became the hem for the bottom and the sleeves as well as the trim for the neck.

This top was a bit of a challenge.  It’s a puckered knit with 50% stretch.  The trick was controlling the stretch.  Well…the solution was Pam Erny’s light weight fusible tricot.  That stuff is golden!  I was able to use it to control the shoulder seam, the sleeve cap and the neck to get a perfectly beautiful neckline in a very stretchy fabric prone to a great deal of “growth”.

Here’s the sleeve cap showing the pattern, the fabric wrong side up and the strip of interfacing.  For the neck and the sleeves I cut a 1/2 inch strip of interfacing shaped to the pattern piece.  I laid the fabric on the pattern, arranging it perfectly then pinned on the interfacing and fused into place with light pressure.  When the seam was serged  1/4″ was in the serged seam and only 1/4″ remained.  Even though I purposely did not create a tight bond, the interfacing has done it’s work.  I did not show and the sleeve and neckline look fabulous.  You be the judge.

 

 

 

Sleeve pinned in place ready to fuse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I am serging along.  Yes, I have pins, but I pull them out just before they reach the knife….honest!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didn’t the neck turn out beautifully?  this is the selvedge serged on and the seam allowance is topstitched into place.  The neckline was stabilized with the interfacing trick prior to adding the trim.

 

 

del.icio.us Tags: Vogue Fabrics,Paisley Pincusion Patterns,Aprons,Interfacing,Sew Exciting,sewing Space Fitting Tips!,American Sewing Guild.

Weekend Sewing

On Saturday I created two golf shirts for DH.  Both were plain white pique knit, exactly what he wanted.  I used the KwikSew 2763.   Having made it once before I knew it was a winner.  I did use the stretch collars because I had them on hand and was short of fabric.  This knit is almost impossible to find.  I purchased it from Anne at the NeedleNook last summer and she was out.  She told me that she does not currently have it in any color but pink.  Unfortunately, I was also a bit shy on one sleeve.  So…I pieced the sleeve in the back creating a “detail”.  I did this same piecing trick on both sleeves to make it look intentional.  I guess you could say it was really because I definately intended to get two shirts out of this yardage.  DH is going on a golf trip in 2 weeks and will need a suitcase full of golf polos.

On Sunday I made a top for myself from Burda 7/2007.  It is the twist top.  I had cut this top out some time ago, but after reading the directions procrastinated on stitching it up until I had a clear head.  So…I thought I might share the photos I took.  The nice thing about this top is the built up neckline…no peep show like so many of the twist tops provide.  It is a plus pattern and it fit right out of the magazine, however I did lengthen it a tad to provide full tummy coverage.  Although with the cotton lycra I used…it’s pretty form fitting. 

Here is the top with the center front stitched up and the facings folded in. 

This is the first twist.  The instructions tell you to twist the right front over the left 2 times.

After 2 twists, you get this.

Now, sew flip the top down over the bottom of the bodice and pin the darts together….

Here’s what it looks like from the other side.

This is a nice top…definately wearable.  However all my photos in the mirror are unshowable.  I will undress my DTD later and give you a “body shot”.

All in all…a great weekend for sewing!

Technorati Tags: Kwik Sew Sewing for men Burda Twist Top

Sewing Again!

I have figured out how to sew “left footed” and am slowly enjoying my sewing life again.  This weekend I started slow…I created a cute tank top out of the Ottobre Woman’s Issue from last spring and I took apart my favorite and raggedy old shorts and created a pattern.  Both were successes!

The shorts first.  I had an old but golden pair of shorts that were a poly knit that was literally worn through.  Now that takes some doing so you know how many times I must have worn them!  I had tried tracing them off previously but with an elastic waist it was impossible to get an accurate pattern.  so this time I sit down and picked them apart.  I traced them on to swedish tracing paper and added 2″ for length to accommodate my aging legs in a more graceful manner.  These shorts were stitched up in Couture Crepe from the MoreJoyofSewingGroup3 coop and I am sure they will become my new favorite shorts. :)  Of course I am shooting my own pic in the mirror so you are only going to see a front view and a big flash!  Now, I don’t normally wear shorts with kneesocks, but this was a quick try on in the sewing room and since I had the cast on the other leg anyway…well…why not!

These shorts are totally made on the serger.  I drafted them with a 1/4″ seam allowance and just serged them up with a 4 thread overlock, then switched to a wide 2 thread coverlock and stitched down the elastic casing and turned up the hems.

 

The tank top is not really a tank on me, although it looks like it in the pattern illustration.   It’s more of a knit shell and much more to my liking.  I wore it  Saturday to lunch with a friend and it was perfect with a light linen blouse over the top as a jacket.  Since I have the typical arms of a middle aged woman, this top will probably make most of it’s appearances under a light blouse.  This is a knit from the above coop.  It’s a fabulous knit and it was so much fun serging it up.  The binding went on fabulously with the cover stitch.  I had previously used another version of this pattern, it had sleeves.  Well, it’s obvious that the bust dart had been rotated to the armscye because the arms bagged at center front.  Never one to be deterred (or to rip coverstitching) I just stitched in some quick bust to armscye darts right through the binding.  As my grandmother was so famous for saying…”who can tell on a galloping horse”.  As a kid I never could figure out what she meant.  Now I TOTALLY get it!  So, this is a wearable muslin.  The next one, I will remove the dart from the pattern and save myself a step.  And…a plain fabric might not be so forgiving as this pretty print. 

I really like the Ottobre drafts.  They are a good fit for my German genes and they are so well drafted and always go together just like they should.  The size range is nice and the patterns are something real people will wear in real life.  I also appreciate that the models look like real people.  Although I normally sew only a few items from each issue, I tend to make them several times as wardrobe basics.  This magazine is a good investment and subscribing direct from the Ottobre site is relatively hassle-free with a credit card. 

So…I’m sewing again, I’m sewing again!  Hope you are sewing too!

Technorati Tags: Sewing,copy pattern,ottobre,co-op

Not the most elegant solution-but functional

As you may recall, I was making a pair of scrub pants for DD.  Per her instructions I “lowered” the waist 2.5″ from the ‘natural’ waist.  Well…DD had never worn scrub pants before and discovered that the elastic waist, even with a drawstring, did not fit like jeans.   When sitting…ahmmm…let’s just say it was a little more revealing than intended.  Not the professional look we were striving for.

So….unstitch the casing…use my handy dandy clover ripper…love these!  To cut through the serging.  Fortunately, I was pretty good and hadn’t nicked the elastic.  Cut a 3″ extension of the fabric.  Apply to the top of the pants. (Click the picture for a better view).

Now the dilemma…what to do with the eyelets for the drawstring.  I cut a rectangular piece of fabric and pressed 3 sides under.  Applied Steam a Seam light and fused to the front of the pants over the eyelets.  Then, I fused tricot interfacing to the inside for comfort.  I topstitched the rectangle.  Reapplied the elastic, created a second set of eyelets and tada….wearable pants! 

 

Now…if we could just do something about my Photo shop skills. 

Happy sewing…

 

Technorati Tags: pants altering waist casing

Spring in Tennessee

It’s such a pretty spring this year and not all my adventures involve the sewing machine!  I love my garden too.  Unfortunately, with a cast on my leg I am not doing the usual digging and transplanting.  No pruning even.  But fortunately my garden style is a bit wild and victorian soI think we will be OK.  Here’s a peek.

This is a view of the flower bed in my back yard.  A slightly raised bed created for the express purpose of installing a prefab garden pond.  I know it’s just a large plastic tub but it was the best I could do single handedly.  About 7 years ago the main construction of this bed took place in a week’s vacation.  Of course, as a true gardener, I move things, add things, and let things die.  But I am sure you will agree, it’s a beautiful spring day!

Her’s a little peek into the pond that is not really waking up yet.  Without spreading plants the fish hide in the bricks so that they aren’t eaten.  We are near the lake and have visits from raccoons and gray herons.   At least 6 goldfish are hiding in that little crack in the bricks. 

Another view, showing neighbor’s privacy hedge and my arbor which will soon have clematis climbing on it.  This little painted concrete birdbath came from the fleamarket and is just perfect under the arbor, don’t you think?

 

This is my side yard.  DH just built the flowerbeds last summer when he excavated the lawn beside the driveway to remove excess rock left from the construction and deepen the lawn.  I love the flowers, but John likes having the greenest lawn in the neighborhood.  He tolerates my flowers as long as they are contained in beds and don’t interfere with mowing.

The peony’s are up and it’s too late to move them.  This clump really needed split this spring but was not going to happen with my limitations.  It’s amazing how well they do in this rocky place where the meter man keeps it trampled down.

Here’s a brave little lilac bush.  Planted last spring and barely surviving a late frost.  But it has buds!  I know it will smell sweet.  It was picked more for fragrance than anything and is near the back deck.

This is one of three little azalea’s I planted last spring.  Just about to pop into boom.

  Isn’t the forcythia grand!  And the neighbor’s cherry tree which I probably enjoy more than they do since they spend very little time out of doors.

 

Hyacinths and Henbit.  Yes, I know henbit is a week but it’s prominent this year and looks so sweet in the flowers that I am waiting until it is past the bloom to hit it with roundup.  Probably a mistake..but it won’t be the first one I’ve made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok…couldn’t resist, two of my grandson’s at Easter…still friends following the egg hunt.  And the lovely daughter’s and grand daughter.  Here you will catch a glimpse of my neighbor’s tidy and artistic garden.  She’s a painter and I am sure she see’s this garden as a lovely painting.  I on the other hand, love my wild riot of color!

 

Technorati Tags: gardens,tennessee,spring

My leg is in a cast, and so naturally, I’m dreaming of shoes

Shortened Achilles, that’s what it is, a result of a break 5 years ago where the bone was attended to but not the soft tissue damage.  The prognosis…no more flat shoes.  Once this stress fracture heals I am “prescribed” to wear at least an inch heel.  So…naturally I am dreaming of shoes since I’m sick to death of a pneumatic cast boot on one foot and an asics athletic shoe on the other for stability and balance. 

Hmmmm….and I just found a pair of purple heels that aren’t too ridiculously high.   OK…is it too ridiculous to wear suede in the summer in the south?   And don’t you just love the hardware and quilted look in these aqua cuties….OK…a little high but maybe if I wear them only when I’m sitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I can see that I definitely need some seriously cute shoes to dream of wearing in another 6 weeks.  And…as long as I’m dreaming shoes I will have to whip up some great garments to wear them with.  Shoes this awesome need to be set off properly. 

Finally Sewing Again!

After a dry spell resulting from decreased mobility and then topped off by the currently circulating respiratory virus I had a package of silk fabrics set by my door untouched (I didn’t even peek) for a week. DH commented that he knew I was feeling badly. Well today I decided that I really could wrestle the cast up the stairs to the studio and opened the package. Some beautiful classic crepes are now in my stash resource center.  However, today was not the day to sew with silks.

I have spent the afternoon trimming patterns.  I’ve cut out the pieces for a scrub suit for DD of royal colored stretch poplin.  It will look great with her coloring but as this is the first scrub sewing I’ve done for her this will be a wearable (hopefully) muslin.  I’m using Simplicity 3542.  Some adjustments will need to be made….primarily dropping the waist to a lower than natural waistline, and I will probably use a drawstring elastic…just for added security.  Once I finally get to work on this it should go together quickly.  Hopefully, tomorrow I can see how this cast handles the sewing machine foot feed. 

I also cut a muslin of a dress for myself.  I’ve had a piece for at least 2 years that came from a coop purchase that is cut and ready to sew up.  This particular dress is also a Simplicity (3775).  I am basically making view F but in the short skirt version as at 5″ tall and plenty wide I don’t need a ballet length making me look any frumpier.  I also elected to cut the gathered overlay only on the front midriff.  I could probably have squeezed it out of the yardage but didn’t feel like working that hard and I think this is fine for the test and will be perfectly wearable if the dress is.  A quick check against my Jalie TT tee top  shows the sleeve should be fine as is and I did lengthen the front bodice on the bust curve slightly just for a bit of an FBA.

So….that’s about all I could handle for one day, but it was good to be fondling fabric again and I will hopefully have an update to post tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: Scrubs,Sewing,Summer Dresses

A View of the World from A Little Red Scooter

Last week I was scheduled to attend the ASTD TechKnowledge conference.  I had also been scheduled to attend last year, but a last minute snafu prevented that from happening.  Unfortunately, this year I was also faced with a challenge.  My right leg is in a cast.  The Henry B. Gonzalez convention center in San Antonio is huge, and my hotel was 4 blocks away.  So…after some research I learned I could rent a mobility scooter.

Here’s what I learned:

• It is very easy to rent a scooter, although not inexpensive.  I just called up, gave them my card number and it was waiting for me at the hotel.
• When you fly, if you have enough tip money on you, people are happy to move you from gate to gate and even stop in the restroom, but don’t expect any side trips for food.  (It can be a long day)
• Crabby airline employees are no friendlier to the woman having a hard time moving around than they are to anyone else.  Crabby airline passengers are in general even more crabby (As in, I’m in a hurry and am obviously more important than you so get out of my way!)
• My hotel staff were wonderful, but it’s hard to drive a scooter in and out of a hotel room.  How does one person hold the door and drive by?  Bring a door stop that you can pull out as you go by…I had to use a rolled up magazine.
• The streets of San Antonio do not facilitate travel by scooter.  When they widened the road, they left the street lights right in the middle of the sidewalk.  The drop off is dangerous.  Curb cuts do not line up with push buttons for street crossing, and apparently not all streets are meant to be crossed from all directions.  If you have to drive on one side because you can manage to squeeze by the light poles…you have to cross there anyway.
• Drivers do not respect curb cuts…not when they pull up to the light, when they park on the street or when they park in front of hotels.  Even when they can see you coming they still pull up to the curb cut and park there.  I know they saw me, I waved, they waved back.
• San Antonio has taxies with ramps to load scooters.  Unfortunately they don’t have enough.  Waiting alone in front of the convention center on a windy, dark, 40 degree evening for over an hour was difficult.  However, other nice taxi drivers will gang up together, load your scooter in a “non equipped” van and take you where you need to go, even if it’s just 4 blocks away.
• Prepare to be smacked by doors.  People don’t see you and they let them go.  On the other hand, a lot of nice people are very willing to open doors for you.
• Exhibit halls and food lines are hard!  You are basically “invisible” in exhibits.  The isles are crowded and apparently you don’t seem like a real customer to vendors…hello…my foot is fractured, but my brain works fine…and I have a lot of time right now to sit on my backside and think up e-learning projects.  (It’s my sewing leg in the cast!)  When it comes to food, it’s every man or woman for themselves.  They apparently can not see a bright red scooter with a sizeable woman on board waiting in line, because the line just keeps flowing around you.  And forget buffet style…how do you see in those chaffing dishes?  Riding a scooter you are right at “flame height”.  When the drinks are down in a barrel of ice…well….fortunately once they had food, people were quite willing to hand you a drink.
• Scooters are much more comfy to sit on than chairs in a convention hall.

All in all, despite the challenges it wasn’t bad.  I could never have managed without the little red scooter.  It was kind of fun zipping around on it when you weren’t encountering an obstacle.  I can walk some so it made getting around some barriers much easier for me than I fear they must be for those completely unable to walk.  I loved the conference.  Came home with a brain full of good information and ideas and met some wonderful people.

Technorati Tags: ASTD San Antionio Mobility Scooter Handicapped accessible

Testing out new options - Confessions of a Sewing Software Geek

A friend recommended that I try windows “Live Writer” to update my blog.  So, I’m doing just that.  I love trying new things.

Lately, I have been trying a lot of new things.

1.  I’m using the new Patternmaster Boutique Version 4.  Despite a few naysayers I have found that my test garments are fitting quite well.  Amazing how the folks at Wild Ginger have managed to keep reinventing for the better.  I love some of the changes in navigation with the new program and am looking forward to sewing up an actual garment with the program….maybe tomorrow…it’s Saturday after all.

2.  I am eagerly trying to learn to run the MacGen4 program by the Patternmaker folks.  My mind is whirring with possible ideas and I can’t sleep at night figuring out what I might try next.  This latest update is so much more straight forward than the earlier versions.  The company has done a fabulous job with the interface. 

Speaking of Patternmaker, I’ve ordered my own copy of

Make Your Own Clothes: 20 Custom Fit Patterns to Sew

I can hardly wait to see the new macros that will run in the Patternmaker Launch Pad.  If you buy the book you get a CD with all the software you need to run the designs furnished in the book.  A great way to get your feet wet inexpensively with the Patternmaker programs.