Claiming my blog + Random Horror Story

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First off, I'm claiming my blog on Bloglovin. All the other kids with their pumped up Kicks are there.

And because that's a lame post on its own, I have a scary story to share.  Feel free to turn off all your lights except a lone flashlight, and sit out under the stars listening to cicadas as you read on...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchclock

My husband works as an environmental consultant, which basically means, if there's bad stuff in the environment, he finds it, assesses the extent of it, makes a plan for remediation, and does it.  He travels for work fairly regularly, and although I used to get jealous, I don't anymore.  Turns out, creepy old abandoned buildings, leaky storage tanks, and old factories are not typically near tourist attractions, shopping,  and/or the nice side of town. Sometimes it's not even in a town, but several miles out along lonely railroad tracks where there are large snakes and no cell signal. Usually he comes home with at least one good story, but sometimes, he finds things.

Not creepy things mind you, but interesting finds: old glass electric insulators, watch clock stations, marbles.

Image source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/116320718/sale-vintage-aqua-glass-insulators

This past week, he was at an abandoned hotel/apartment building in Kansas doing an asbestos survey.  I'd heard all about the items left in apartments, the mold growing up walls where pipes had broken and leaked, the personal "adult" items left just inside doorways of rooms that had been occupied just a couple of months ago when he was last there.

He hadn't mentioned finding anything, so as I came to bed the other night, I was shocked and horrified to find this on my dresser:

For the life of me I couldn't imagine what had happened to my sewing machine, who was responsible, and how anyone was going to be able to explain their way into forgiveness.  Brushing his teeth, he left me in mute shock for what felt like an hour holding this, briefly contemplating and ultimately rejecting both divorce and life without children.

Finally spitting, he said he tripped over it in the parking lot of the abandoned hotel, knew it had something to do with sewing, and threw it in the truck.  

*Huge exhale*

Needing reassurance, I dragged him down to show us both.

It was the cover piece to my same sewing machine, a Singer 401A.

Somewhere, out there in the dark, there is a lost and broken Slant-o-Matic roaming the night, crying out for its lost spool pin, cover, and stitch chart.

Lonsdale for the Win!

My husband took these pictures for me as we were walking back to the car from a beautiful roof-top wedding in downtown Lee's Summit, where we live.  These are in front of a bridal store right across from the Amtrak station.  Where we live, we are about 26 miles from Kansas City, and the train runs daily between Union Station and St. Louis on the other side of the state.  (Having lived in Frankfurt, Germany, I totally miss well-organized public transportation, but here in the middle of the country, you learn to drive pretty early on.)

In any case, downtown Lee's Summit is very picturesque, with lots of shops, places to eat and drink, and carnivals 2-3 times per year.    

Pattern: Sewaholic Lonsdale
Material: 3.5 yards of cotton voile, scraps for underlining, dark purple Bemberg for skirt lining
Notions: rayon seam binding + long gray zipper from stash
Time to complete: Um...? Not long-a couple hours here and there; definitely longer to cut out than sew
First worn: to a beautiful roof-top summer wedding this past Saturday

 First off, this dress is amazing.  It feels heavenly on, and like the Cambie dress, I couldn't really fit-check it while sewing.  But, it's summer, and summer is when all good bad decisions are made, so I didn't muslin this first.  And it worked.  If only all my impulsive summer decisions turned out so fortuitously.

Secondly, I try to work from my inherited notions stash as much as I can, but this was tricky fabric to match.  The background color is kind of in between gray and dusty purple, and I kind of had to choose at each step of the way.

I used gray thread on the machine and serger, until I found a slightly warmer purple-er color for top-stitching the lapped zipper.  I usually use Gutermann thread, but switched to Coats and Clark for the better color match.  I've read that people say their sewing machines are finicky about thread, but honestly, I didn't notice a difference in performance.  That said, I sew on a 1960's Singer, and I don't think they're typically picky on thread choice.

I went with a purple (Blackberry?) Bemberg lining for the skirt, though, because the only gray option was more of a Dove gray.  I took both options to the cutting counter with a swatch of my fabric, and the cutting lady gave me grief about not liking either option.  Well, stuff it, lady. I went with the dark purple, partly because I would rather err on the too-dark than the too-light side, and partly because they didn't have enough yardage of the light gray.  And you know what?  The purple was perfect.

I used a gray zipper, and gray hem binding, both from the inherited stash, which sometimes makes me pause. A lot of stuff I've inherited from my grandmother, but I know she bought a lot of stuff at estate sales, or inherited items that were in sewing tables/lots they purchased.  She had an overwhelming amount of stashed notions, fabrics, patterns, trims, tools, and I honestly think that she lost track of what she had over time. I'm not judging; I can relate to how much stuff accumulates, but I always wonder whose stash I'm sewing from, and I kind of feel a twinge of guilt.  Is this just me?  Does anyone else feel like the old stuff needs to be preserved for the very special projects?  Or am I just on the road to maintaining someone else's hoard?

More pictures in daylight:

Dress front

Dress back

pockets!

Lapped zipper

So: Do you worry about becoming a hoarder? Do you worry about respecting someone else's hoard?  Do you hear voices telling you not to use the boiled wool for that skirt, because someone else had it earmarked for a coat?  Do I need medication, or is more likely that I'm reacting to having only two more weeks of summer vacation?  (Feel free to channel my husband and remind me that not everyone gets summer vacation, and that I should suck it up.)

Summer Uniforms

Last week, or maybe it was two weeks ago, (it's summer, and time is not measured during summer break), I read this post about summer uniforms.  Now, it's not nearly as glamorous as a skirt, but I present to you my summer uniform:

Behold, the Maritime Shorts!

While tinkering with deepening the rise by 1/2", I realized I was essentially grading the rise from an 8 to a 10.  I went back and tried on the gray twill pair I made in May (the reason for the crotch deepening), and admitted that I could probably use a little more room in the hips, too.  I mean really.  Who wants tight shorts in the summer when it's wiltingly hot? The waist fit, though, and normally, grading up one size between the waist and hip is old hat, but honestly, grading the pocket pieces stumped me a bit.  

So I went the easy route, and just made the size 10.  Comfier?  Definitely.  Flattering? Well, no.  I had room for a good size algebra text book in there.  You know, those big, heavy ones.  

Hmm.

Okay, so I removed the waistband right at the center back, took in a good size tuck, tapering to nothing just past where the pockets start, and shortened the waist band to match.  Which may not have been the best solution, but considering the shape of  my shape, it worked.  

I've worn these twice since they were completed on Wednesday, (small children = frequent laundry), so they are field tested and approved.  I transferred the changes onto the pattern, and I'm set for factory level production.  

Front view + belly flash

Side view of improved pocket action

The picture that I'm sure had our neighbors wondering why my husband was taking a picture of my butt in our driveway.  

Oh well.

If the blog's quiet for awhile, just picture me churning out an army of Maritime shorts and little Renfrews, set for fast morning dressing and world domination.

Pattern: Grainline Maritime shorts

Fabric: cotton denim from Joann's, quadruple washed

Notions: 9" zip from stash, medium weight Pro-weft interfacing ( Best. Stuff. Ever.)

Cambie Dress

  

Given my much established love of the Renfrew, it's only fitting that I branch out to other Sewaholic patterns, and honestly, there is a reason everyone loves the Cambie dress.  I know I'm slow on the uptake, and I think at least half the world has made at least one of these, but this dress is amazing.  It is fast, easy, looks good on everyone, and I honestly haven't seen a version of this dress that I don't love.

I had ordered the pattern a while ago, long before sundress weather, and waited for fabric inspiration to strike.  When I finally saw this while cruising on fabric.com, I fell in love with it immediately.  Teal, aqua, limey green, voile, big abstract-y floral print? It's my bag, baby.  And when it arrived? Soooo dreamy and soft.  It's a pattern/fabric match made in heaven, and I knew it would be the perfect summer dress  for baby showers and outdoor weddings.    

Fabric: Joel Dewberry Notting Hill cotton voile, (here),  ivory cotton lawn for lining

Pattern: Sewaholic Cambie

Notions: 22" zip

Time to complete: 2-3 evenings, including tracing the pattern

I wore this at the beginning of June for a sweet baby shower, followed by a family reunion.  The day was hot and muggy, as only Missouri summer can be.  This dress was so light and airy, though; the cotton was so breathable, and it didn't stick at all.  I will definitely be making more of these, especially with the same fabric combination.  Maybe with the a-line skirt though, for a less-frilly version for work.  

I honestly don't know what more to say about this pattern, that hasn't already been emblazoned across the web, so I'll just include more pictures.

Action shot

Not too poofy skirt.

Skirt pockets in lining fabric.  They are awesome...but surprisingly tricky to locate at times.

Matching Hug-Snug seam binding for lining hem, just because I could.

Inside of dress.  I underlined the bodice in the same cotton lawn, then lined in the fashion fabric.  I was slightly worried it might show if the neckline gaped a bit, had enough yardage left over, and honestly, who wouldn't want cotton voile against the skin? 

Inside view of lining attached to the zipper.  Pretty neatly finished, woot woot!

Gratuitous shoe pic

I've also been seduced lately by the Lonsdale dress, and have that coming up soon, after I finish more shorts.    I dominated a new pair of denim shorts I'll post soon, and took a break from sewing for myself to fix my niece's camp swimsuit, and finish some promised projects for others.

E has been busy brewing up Halloween plans already, so in addition to my own plans, my dance card is getting full.  : )

I already knew I had problems with finding an author I like, then glomming on to and reading their entire back-list, but it now seems like I might do this with patterns, too.  

Anybody else prone to glomming onto entire pattern lines?