I used to sometimes hear blog posts in my head. I'd be thinking about something and it would turn into a conversation of sorts. They were words I needed to get out of my head so I could move on to other thoughts maybe. It really was the push to blog at times I probably shouldn't.
It doesn't seem to happen much lately. Maybe because I'm happy. Sounds strange but I think most songs are about something sad or challenging. When we're struggling, we often have more things to say, more feelings to sort out.
That said, I am sewing. It's wonderful to have new clothing to wear. You know a few days I wore entirely me-made outfits last week? Having two pairs of self made pants is certainly extending my wardrobe. And last week I made a denim Hollyburn skirt.
I should be eager to blog about all of them but man I suck at taking pictures. I was frantically hemming the skirt on Saturday so I could wear it to my nephews first birthday party (CRAZY, they can't possibly be one already). First birthday, you'd think I'd have a picture or two of me in my self made brand spanking new skirt.
Nope. I know pictures were taken of me but go figure, all the ones I have seen are of my nephew. I mean really, there was a new skirt to show off, someone should have taken a picture of it (we need a sarcasm font or something). I should have asked Mr. Lina to capture the skirt in all it's non-shiny denim newness but I didn't.
And then I washed it and wore it to work on Monday. Granted, I left at 7:30am when Mr. Lina was in the shower and I got home at 7:30pm because I have limited time management skills, but in theory I could have taken outdoor pictures yesterday. Spring HAS arrived (although I'm still skeptical it is here to stay). But no, I decided having dinner and buying groceries was more important.
Oh and how is this for weird? I was at a client this afternoon that happens to be near a Fabricland. The car went on autopilot and the next thing I knew I was parked right in front of it. Strange. But stranger still, I didn't buy much. I actually reminded myself I have fabric and home and bought things like interfacing, lining, and a little piece of fabric with grippies on it so I can make my hand knit slippers last a little longer (I swear my feet eat through yarn). Nothing even to show off. Every time I touched something I was reminded of some other piece of cotton sateen or poly-knit in my fabric stash.
I like making patterns twice. You figure out what works and doesn't. Let me tell you Hollyburn runs long on me. The "above the knee" but not short (view B) is below my knee AFTER I cut the length for size 0 and then cut an additional 3" off the bottom. I will sew it again but it will be cut 4" shorter (to be above my knee) and from a softer fabric. I do like my light weight denim version (fabric purchased from Len's Mill denim ends, it's so dark it's almost black) but it the denim has enough body to float away from me. My mom said I looked "youthful". When I mentioned being ready for the sock hop Mr. Lina agreed. I have some black linen in my stash, just washed it for a second or third time last week. That could be nice for summer and while it won't drape like a chiffon, it will fall down instead of out.
Showing posts with label Fabric. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fabric. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 15
Friday, February 6
Welcome to February
Where on earth did January go? I swear I blinked and weeks had passed.
On the sewing front, I'm getting there. I finally found my iron last week but I still haven't found my large self healing mat. The little one, but not the big one. The little mat is maybe helpful for a bra and that's about it and I'm not quite organized enough for making a bra.
I am, however, vaguely organized to sew a rectangle. Large rectangles. Like curtains.
They aren't quite finished. I wasn't sure how well they would block out the sun and they were needed sooner rather than later because the blinds are useless. Completely useless. Not only are they ineffective at blocking sun, they provide no privacy. Something I realized coming home from bowling when Mr. Lina had the light on in the bedroom and I could see everything from the street. Not just the shape of my furniture, but the details too. No wonder the neighbours are so friendly. I put up a sheet that night, bought this fabric on the weekend, cut and turned the edges and we hung them up. As it turns out, I do need a fairly heavy lining to block out the sun so I'm glad I waited rather than cheaping out assuming the fabric was heavy enough.
Mr. Lina also has me sewing rectangles for a green screen. I'm less enthused by that as the fabric with the right shade of green is also rubber backed and freakishly heavy. It looks like it was sewn by drunk monkeys because it's hard to pull the fabric in 9' panels evenly. I refuse to sew more until he supports the fabric on the side. It's just embarrassing how crooked it is.
Things are moving pretty quickly on the home study/adoption front. Our adoption worker is such a good fit for us. We share similar interests in folk music, he plays guitar, he's really made Mr. Lina feel comfortable. We've had one meet & greet and our first visit (of 4-5) for the home study. It's pretty intense, there aren't many skeletons left in our closets. An hour and a half of talking (each, separately) about our childhood. And it's not just what I say but how I say it. Like he commented on how I talk about my dad, it's like I'm defending him when no one is attacking him. I didn't realize I felt that way, like I needed to justify everything. So strange. That interview rattled around my head for a few days. Still does I suppose. We were scheduled to have our second meeting today but he is sick, so it's going to be next week.
Oh and we went to Montreal for a wedding. Who gets married in Montreal in January when most of your family are in Manitoba? Not the best time of year for travelling. BUT, it was in the Plateau area, I bought 3 pieces of fabric without it being a hassle at all, and I'm so happy for the couple. They really are well suited and just crazy enough for the other. It was a wonderfully casual wedding with cocktail dresses for a dress code.
The fabric on the left is black and the light is accentuating the snake skin print, it s quite subtle in person (being black on black). It's a knit, fairly stable but my plan is a skirt so just enough stretch for movement and comfort. Actually all three have stretch, now that I think about it. I didn't notice quite how much stretch was in the top right (and it is grey, not purple) "cloud" fabric until later because it's one directional. I want to make it into a pencil skirt. I'm doing more formal client meetings and I feel most professional in a skirt so I'd like to add some to my wardrobe. Last is the cable knit sweater. It's fairly heavy, black on the back. I was thinking a snug sweater (I think it's thick enough to smooth over bumps) maybe like Renfrew, but it was the last 2m on the bolt and I took it all. So maybe a dress now? Snug and fairly short maybe, something that could be worn with opaque tights or leggings/skinny jeans.
On the sewing front, I'm getting there. I finally found my iron last week but I still haven't found my large self healing mat. The little one, but not the big one. The little mat is maybe helpful for a bra and that's about it and I'm not quite organized enough for making a bra.
I am, however, vaguely organized to sew a rectangle. Large rectangles. Like curtains.
They aren't quite finished. I wasn't sure how well they would block out the sun and they were needed sooner rather than later because the blinds are useless. Completely useless. Not only are they ineffective at blocking sun, they provide no privacy. Something I realized coming home from bowling when Mr. Lina had the light on in the bedroom and I could see everything from the street. Not just the shape of my furniture, but the details too. No wonder the neighbours are so friendly. I put up a sheet that night, bought this fabric on the weekend, cut and turned the edges and we hung them up. As it turns out, I do need a fairly heavy lining to block out the sun so I'm glad I waited rather than cheaping out assuming the fabric was heavy enough.
Mr. Lina also has me sewing rectangles for a green screen. I'm less enthused by that as the fabric with the right shade of green is also rubber backed and freakishly heavy. It looks like it was sewn by drunk monkeys because it's hard to pull the fabric in 9' panels evenly. I refuse to sew more until he supports the fabric on the side. It's just embarrassing how crooked it is.
Things are moving pretty quickly on the home study/adoption front. Our adoption worker is such a good fit for us. We share similar interests in folk music, he plays guitar, he's really made Mr. Lina feel comfortable. We've had one meet & greet and our first visit (of 4-5) for the home study. It's pretty intense, there aren't many skeletons left in our closets. An hour and a half of talking (each, separately) about our childhood. And it's not just what I say but how I say it. Like he commented on how I talk about my dad, it's like I'm defending him when no one is attacking him. I didn't realize I felt that way, like I needed to justify everything. So strange. That interview rattled around my head for a few days. Still does I suppose. We were scheduled to have our second meeting today but he is sick, so it's going to be next week.
Oh and we went to Montreal for a wedding. Who gets married in Montreal in January when most of your family are in Manitoba? Not the best time of year for travelling. BUT, it was in the Plateau area, I bought 3 pieces of fabric without it being a hassle at all, and I'm so happy for the couple. They really are well suited and just crazy enough for the other. It was a wonderfully casual wedding with cocktail dresses for a dress code.
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| Emery board for scale, really they are all black/grey. |
Tuesday, September 10
You might have a problem if...
Edited for pictures...
(I know, two posts in one day after two weeks of silence... strange but true)
I went to Fabricland on my lunch hour (on Dundas, west of the 427). I wanted about 20cm of black broadcloth to make a movie quality kippah, my stash was not coming through for me.
That came to $1.35 plus tax, so... $1.52. Plus a little elastic in case I need some for the actresses costume.
And my bill? $25.31.
There was this lovely fabric, on a table full of "European Imports" on for half price, $7.50/m. A few remind me of the viscose we saw at Downtown Fabric in August. Content wise, a mix of polyesters, cotton blends (including silk/cotton), viscose (bought one last week, so light and airy), most marked as being from Germany... but today I was seduced by a fabric that makes me wish I had a camera with me at work.
I even brought my fabric into the office, I couldn't leave it behind in the car.
I've already pulled it out once.
I want to open it all up... but that's not work appropriate behaviour.
In lieu of pictures... imagine this...
What the hell do I make with this? I can't let it get too precious to cut into, but this has to be a planned project to make the most of it.
It's so soft... and lovely...
Proportion wise, it reminds me of the butterfly fabric that Allison C made into a maxi dress. But this doesn't have the drape of her jersey.
I bought 2.2m to be sure I had some space where the flowers repeat. Can anyone think of a pattern that's intended for a boarder to run through the middle of the fabric?
It's so pretty.
I'll just look at it one more time....
(I know, two posts in one day after two weeks of silence... strange but true)
I went to Fabricland on my lunch hour (on Dundas, west of the 427). I wanted about 20cm of black broadcloth to make a movie quality kippah, my stash was not coming through for me.
That came to $1.35 plus tax, so... $1.52. Plus a little elastic in case I need some for the actresses costume.
And my bill? $25.31.
There was this lovely fabric, on a table full of "European Imports" on for half price, $7.50/m. A few remind me of the viscose we saw at Downtown Fabric in August. Content wise, a mix of polyesters, cotton blends (including silk/cotton), viscose (bought one last week, so light and airy), most marked as being from Germany... but today I was seduced by a fabric that makes me wish I had a camera with me at work.
I even brought my fabric into the office, I couldn't leave it behind in the car.
I've already pulled it out once.
I want to open it all up... but that's not work appropriate behaviour.
In lieu of pictures... imagine this...
- Dark grey at one end
- Dove grey at the other
- At the switching point...
- Orchid - bigger than my stretched out hand
- Stargazer lilies trailing towards the dark end of the fabric
- One repeat per meter.
- Cotton with 2% spandex (stretch going from dark to light)
- Fairly heavy weight, this is not blouse material
- Sturdy enough to get machine wash warm, tumble dry low, cool iron washing instructions
What the hell do I make with this? I can't let it get too precious to cut into, but this has to be a planned project to make the most of it.
It's so soft... and lovely...
Proportion wise, it reminds me of the butterfly fabric that Allison C made into a maxi dress. But this doesn't have the drape of her jersey.
I bought 2.2m to be sure I had some space where the flowers repeat. Can anyone think of a pattern that's intended for a boarder to run through the middle of the fabric?
It's so pretty.
I'll just look at it one more time....
Tuesday, August 6
The Parking Lot
The other day I was meeting with someone at work and she talked about "The Parking Lot". She was giving advice to my new coworker that he didn't need to know everything right off the bat. It was always okay to say "I don't know, let's put that in The Parking Lot and I'll find out for you". It's good advice, he's not going to catch up to my 7 years of doing this in 3 weeks.
For me, this blog has become a parking lot. Sometimes when I'm at work, ideas swirl around and they need to go somewhere so I can focus. A quick post here serves that purpose (and lets me delay doing work I'm not all that interested in). It's not so much , but it does become a storage place for ideas I need to set aside.
I haven't been posting much lately for a few reasons.
In May we (that's the royal we, meaning mostly Mr. Lina) sanded the deck and stained it, the focus being on the horizontal boards of the deck so we could set out our new patio furniture. Sunday we finally had the weather and time to finish the railings. We weren't sanding those down, just painting over them. It was hot and sweaty work but it looks nice now that it is done. Another box ticked off on the to-do list.
Mr. Lina started a batch of beer with a friend on Monday (a stat holiday in Ontario). They are splitting the batch of a Belgian Tripel they are trying to clone (smile, nod, no it doesn't mean much to me either but if you want to know more, check this out). So I had to clean the kitchen so they could make a mess of it with the beer making (which they did generally clean up).
And I sewed. Yes indeed, I've made another Sorbetto. This is now the 4th time I've made this pattern but I need that kind of low thinking/pre-traced sewing to get me back into the swing of things and this does fill a wardrobe gap. There was still some thinking involved since the first two don't really fit well at the bust (not sure if they ever did or if it's a change in bras), even after #3 it still needed some tweaking. I asked Mr. Lina to take pictures of me on Friday when I wore #3 to work, but it didn't quite happen. #4 needs to be hemmed and we'll see how #3 did in the wash last night. It's 100% cotton and came out wrinkly (as expected from cotton), hopefully it did all of it's shrinking in the pre-wash.
So moving two 64L bins of fabric our of my sewing room seems to have had a positive impact - productivity. Saturday I'll be joining the Toronto Meet Up (details here - and I have a choice of new shirts to wear!), which means shopping, the opposite of decluttering. I might have to keep an eye out for some white fabric. We're doing a team fun day of lawn bowling on Monday afternoon, wearing white is required. I suspect my pale beige pencil skirt that probably doesn't fit me at my present weight is a good choice for lawn bowling. A white A line skirt might be in order and I'm sure the only white in my stash is broadcloth.
For me, this blog has become a parking lot. Sometimes when I'm at work, ideas swirl around and they need to go somewhere so I can focus. A quick post here serves that purpose (and lets me delay doing work I'm not all that interested in). It's not so much , but it does become a storage place for ideas I need to set aside.
I haven't been posting much lately for a few reasons.
- I'm mentoring "the new guy". Either I'm looking at his screen or he's looking at mine.
- That takes up a lot of time and I still have my own work to do, no time to procrastinate.
- I'm interested in what I'm doing at work again so my attention span is better.
- I don't have negative thought swirling around that need temporary storage.
- I spend all day in front of a computer, so when I'm home, I don't spend much time online. If I don't find time to post at work, I'm not likely to post at home.
- I don't have a lot to think about, I'm at an action stage more than a thinking stage.
In May we (that's the royal we, meaning mostly Mr. Lina) sanded the deck and stained it, the focus being on the horizontal boards of the deck so we could set out our new patio furniture. Sunday we finally had the weather and time to finish the railings. We weren't sanding those down, just painting over them. It was hot and sweaty work but it looks nice now that it is done. Another box ticked off on the to-do list.
Mr. Lina started a batch of beer with a friend on Monday (a stat holiday in Ontario). They are splitting the batch of a Belgian Tripel they are trying to clone (smile, nod, no it doesn't mean much to me either but if you want to know more, check this out). So I had to clean the kitchen so they could make a mess of it with the beer making (which they did generally clean up).
And I sewed. Yes indeed, I've made another Sorbetto. This is now the 4th time I've made this pattern but I need that kind of low thinking/pre-traced sewing to get me back into the swing of things and this does fill a wardrobe gap. There was still some thinking involved since the first two don't really fit well at the bust (not sure if they ever did or if it's a change in bras), even after #3 it still needed some tweaking. I asked Mr. Lina to take pictures of me on Friday when I wore #3 to work, but it didn't quite happen. #4 needs to be hemmed and we'll see how #3 did in the wash last night. It's 100% cotton and came out wrinkly (as expected from cotton), hopefully it did all of it's shrinking in the pre-wash.
So moving two 64L bins of fabric our of my sewing room seems to have had a positive impact - productivity. Saturday I'll be joining the Toronto Meet Up (details here - and I have a choice of new shirts to wear!), which means shopping, the opposite of decluttering. I might have to keep an eye out for some white fabric. We're doing a team fun day of lawn bowling on Monday afternoon, wearing white is required. I suspect my pale beige pencil skirt that probably doesn't fit me at my present weight is a good choice for lawn bowling. A white A line skirt might be in order and I'm sure the only white in my stash is broadcloth.
Tuesday, July 23
Check In
I have started posting a couple of times and I'm still struggling to find the right words. I have so many trees that I'm struggling to see the forest. Just so this isn't totally pictureless, I'm going to add a few vacation pictures from our time in Manitoba. I came back to "bad things" and didn't really get to talk about our vacation. It was very restful but I look tired in every picture.
In general, I'm doing quite well. I've been able to focus at work most of the time. I'm not a teary mess prone to negative thoughts, nor a complete space cadet (although I did leave my purse at home on Thursday). I can see a little anger poking through now and again through sarcasm or self depreciating humour, but it's little peeks, not full blown craziness.
Physically, things are also good. I pretty much fit back into my old bras. The bruises on my abdomen are pale brown, if they were elsewhere you might think I missed a spot with sunscreen and have a strange tan line. I somehow lost a little weight. That has helped with my body acceptance. I don't feel fat on top of not speaking to my uterus and I fit into another pair of pants. I'm about 10lbs down from my high weight and looking at my book of measurements, my waist is the same size as it was in 2007 (granted it was an inch smaller in 2010, I still have a little ways to go). I don't really have the resources to focus on weight loss, I'd just like to continue making wiser choices and keep an eye on my portion sizes. I'm not in a rush and this seems to be working.
I am struggling to do some things I would have avoided while pregnant. I guess to do some of these things I really have to be okay that it's done. Really done-done. This is where I see a little disconnect. I'm not sad, I can talk about what happened and adoption, and yet I can't seem to accept a diet Coke or a glass of wine. I am easing into these things and trying not to make a big deal of it either way (neither beating myself up for not being ready nor forcing myself to do it). I'll get there. I've had a few sips of Mr. Lina's beer and is it really such a bad thing to not have artificial sweetners? Weight loss sure is easier if I'm not drinking a bottle of wine.
Mr. Lina is doing a little better too. Not that we've talked much about the loss specifically, but we both seem to feel like we've said as much as we can on the previous losses and we are able to talk about what's next. He is starting to say things that he will miss because we won't experience a new born baby. It's a start. When I went to see our therapist I went on my own. I was worried at first she would think things weren't good with us, she's often commented on the strength of our relationship. But she agreed with me, if he wasn't ready to talk to her, that's okay and it was okay for me to come on my own. I'm pretty sure he's coming with me on Thursday for the second appointment.
Moving onto adoption is a big domino to over turn. We had already said we would need to move, so naturally that's next on the to-do list. (Side note, it's not Children's Aid Society/Family & Child Services (CAS/FACS depending on the region) that would require us to move, but this isn't our "with-kids-forever-house" and it's not fair to adopt siblings and realize 3 days in that there isn't enough space and putting them through more upheaval. I'm not giving up my sewing room.) I'm not sure how ready I am for that. It's making me more likely to pitch things while cleaning up, but it's moving that makes me feel overwhelmed when I really think about it. I'm not sure where we should go to, which employers we should focus on when picking a location, it's a lot to juggle and I don't like ruling out options. Not to mention 9 years of crap in the house that needs to be dealt with. I've packed up two clear 62L bins of fabric. It sounds like a lot but it still leaves lots of fabric to work with should the muse strike. I could probably fill two more and still have fabric out for a dozen projects. Cleaning up my sewing room like this also made me realize just how many UFO's I have. UFOs are something to contemplate another day.
In the meantime, I've ended up crocheting a lot. Granted it's all the same blanket pattern that I made for my niece, but I find it soothing and it makes television time with Mr. Lina feel less... wasteful. One project is in a white yarn that I'm not overly happy with. It felt softer on the ball than in the project and it's made up BIG. This is not going to be a baby sized blanket. I need to buy another crappy ball of yarn because it's not long enough for the width and it's not so crappy that it isn't worth finishing. So it's on hold for the moment. While in Manitoba, I started a yellow blanket I'm happier with. It's soft and the shells are smaller and popping to opposite sides nicely. As much as I bought 3 balls of wool, I think I'll need a 4th, it's not getting a lot of height in the shells. I put 27 shells across instead of 29 that the pattern calls for, but it is still going to need more rows to look balanced to the width.
And just a reminder that there will be a Toronto meet up on August 10th at 10am. I am really looking forward to it. FunnyGrrl is coming to town and the details are on her blog, Falling Through Your Clothes. It looks like we're up to 9-10 people so far.
In general, I'm doing quite well. I've been able to focus at work most of the time. I'm not a teary mess prone to negative thoughts, nor a complete space cadet (although I did leave my purse at home on Thursday). I can see a little anger poking through now and again through sarcasm or self depreciating humour, but it's little peeks, not full blown craziness.
 |
| Does this look like someone who slept 10 hours? |
Physically, things are also good. I pretty much fit back into my old bras. The bruises on my abdomen are pale brown, if they were elsewhere you might think I missed a spot with sunscreen and have a strange tan line. I somehow lost a little weight. That has helped with my body acceptance. I don't feel fat on top of not speaking to my uterus and I fit into another pair of pants. I'm about 10lbs down from my high weight and looking at my book of measurements, my waist is the same size as it was in 2007 (granted it was an inch smaller in 2010, I still have a little ways to go). I don't really have the resources to focus on weight loss, I'd just like to continue making wiser choices and keep an eye on my portion sizes. I'm not in a rush and this seems to be working.
I am struggling to do some things I would have avoided while pregnant. I guess to do some of these things I really have to be okay that it's done. Really done-done. This is where I see a little disconnect. I'm not sad, I can talk about what happened and adoption, and yet I can't seem to accept a diet Coke or a glass of wine. I am easing into these things and trying not to make a big deal of it either way (neither beating myself up for not being ready nor forcing myself to do it). I'll get there. I've had a few sips of Mr. Lina's beer and is it really such a bad thing to not have artificial sweetners? Weight loss sure is easier if I'm not drinking a bottle of wine.
Mr. Lina is doing a little better too. Not that we've talked much about the loss specifically, but we both seem to feel like we've said as much as we can on the previous losses and we are able to talk about what's next. He is starting to say things that he will miss because we won't experience a new born baby. It's a start. When I went to see our therapist I went on my own. I was worried at first she would think things weren't good with us, she's often commented on the strength of our relationship. But she agreed with me, if he wasn't ready to talk to her, that's okay and it was okay for me to come on my own. I'm pretty sure he's coming with me on Thursday for the second appointment.
Moving onto adoption is a big domino to over turn. We had already said we would need to move, so naturally that's next on the to-do list. (Side note, it's not Children's Aid Society/Family & Child Services (CAS/FACS depending on the region) that would require us to move, but this isn't our "with-kids-forever-house" and it's not fair to adopt siblings and realize 3 days in that there isn't enough space and putting them through more upheaval. I'm not giving up my sewing room.) I'm not sure how ready I am for that. It's making me more likely to pitch things while cleaning up, but it's moving that makes me feel overwhelmed when I really think about it. I'm not sure where we should go to, which employers we should focus on when picking a location, it's a lot to juggle and I don't like ruling out options. Not to mention 9 years of crap in the house that needs to be dealt with. I've packed up two clear 62L bins of fabric. It sounds like a lot but it still leaves lots of fabric to work with should the muse strike. I could probably fill two more and still have fabric out for a dozen projects. Cleaning up my sewing room like this also made me realize just how many UFO's I have. UFOs are something to contemplate another day.
In the meantime, I've ended up crocheting a lot. Granted it's all the same blanket pattern that I made for my niece, but I find it soothing and it makes television time with Mr. Lina feel less... wasteful. One project is in a white yarn that I'm not overly happy with. It felt softer on the ball than in the project and it's made up BIG. This is not going to be a baby sized blanket. I need to buy another crappy ball of yarn because it's not long enough for the width and it's not so crappy that it isn't worth finishing. So it's on hold for the moment. While in Manitoba, I started a yellow blanket I'm happier with. It's soft and the shells are smaller and popping to opposite sides nicely. As much as I bought 3 balls of wool, I think I'll need a 4th, it's not getting a lot of height in the shells. I put 27 shells across instead of 29 that the pattern calls for, but it is still going to need more rows to look balanced to the width.
And just a reminder that there will be a Toronto meet up on August 10th at 10am. I am really looking forward to it. FunnyGrrl is coming to town and the details are on her blog, Falling Through Your Clothes. It looks like we're up to 9-10 people so far.
Tuesday, April 9
Shopaholic
There is an expression of those who can't do, teach. Well, I think those who can't sew, shop.
I have been very aware that my output has been reduced to damn near nothing the past few months. This makes shopping a little risky. I don't need more stash because I'm not using what I have, but it can be inspiring to have new fabric. And I still sew things in my mind. Sadly, I think some of it leads to what I'd call "analysis paralysis" at work. Looking at so many things at the same time can bring you to a full stop from indecision rather than pushing you to do more.
I thought that I was showing restraint. I haven't been in a Fabricland for ages. I limited myself to a couple of pieces of fabric when my parents were away, a few things at the sewing meet up... But in taking pictures, this doesn't look like much restraint.
When my parents go to Florida, I can't resist buying a few things and having it shipped to them. It's just so cheap. Let's start with Fabric.com purchases, two shirting fabrics
I was thinking about blouses for these shirts. Since adding a little weight and buying a new bra (and accepting an additional cup size) my summer shirt wardrobe has shrunk. Things that I could kind of get away with are not going to work this summer. My employers dress code is casual but not so casual that I can wear tshirts. Say, either of these in an Alma with jeans would be perfect for the three days I'm there. Add dress pants and it might work with my clients office.
So let's talk underwire for a minute. In deciding that I need to go up a cup size (well, two but down a band size so in sister sizes I mean one) I need new underwires if I want to make bras. Here are a close up of 3 underwires.
To the left is a demi wire I bought a couple of years ago (also from Sew Sassy but I have no idea why I bought it). The white wire is "flex lite" spring steel underwire and the third is wholesaler overstock underwire on the site, sold in packages of 6 pairs. I wish I still had a crappy pair of underwire that they sell at Fabricland. I think I have twist ties that are stronger than they are. They may be fine for a young woman with a small cup size, or maybe a bathing suit, but I as K-Line has pointed out, weak wires can be the downfall of a full support bra. On the Sew Sassy site, they picture the flex lite inside the flat metal wires because the shape/height is a little different. Compared to the flex lite, the flat metal are 3/8" larger inside width but 1/2" smaller inside depth and 1/8" inch smaller in outside length. Looking at the list of underwire sizes you start to understand how not all cup sizes are quite equal. I really like the weight of those flat metal wires.
Two bras that I thought fit well both died because of plastic component failure. It's a sad reason to not have a functional bra. I bought white nylon coated metal (which can be dyed although the odds of me doing that are slim) slides from Sew Sassy. On the Toronto meet up, I found some awesome metal findings (front clasp in the top left corner is plastic but it seems a bit thicker than what I have). Silver isn't as easy to find as you'd think and I like silver accessories.
I did buy two pieces of fabric. I have a soft spot for wide lace elastic. This is actually a pale purple colour, the green background is changing the colour a bit. I spied it behind the cutting table, I tell you wide lace calls to me if it's over 5" wide.
It's wild. I don't even like orange but the purple (kind of maroon-ish) and black swirls danced before my eyes blinding me. I think my brain was already in Mexico. The feel of this fabric is really nice. It's going to take a little time to cut into this because it may end up being one of those precious fabrics you can't stop touching long enough to cut into.
Given that I have (clearly) a crap ton of recent purchases. I tried to show restraint during the swap. I picked up a piece of stretchy leather looking fabric. Really stretchy, like legging stretchy. I'm pretty sure that Kristiann at Victory Patterns offered this up, she was quite funny in "selling" it to the group. Black photographs so well (did you hear that sarcasm?) I didn't even bother trying to get the black and shiny features but that's it behind the pattern. I have never purchased a Hot Pattern before so I was happy to take this one home. Thanks K-Line!
And last but not least... While in Landshut, Germany, we happened to walk past a fabric store. At the time we were starving and looking for a restaurant that served something other than strudel & coffee or take out. But the next day, we went back. I bought 2m of this for myself...
The fabric is folded back at the spool of thread so you can see the wrong side and get a little sense of the drape. It's kind of cool, like satin but not nearly as shiny (see how light isn't reflecting on any of the folds like the black stretchy stuff). Very soft and a rather substantial weight to it. I love the shades of purple and beige seems like it adds some versatility to it. There is a little one directional stretch to it.
And that is the end of the shopping confessional.
I have been very aware that my output has been reduced to damn near nothing the past few months. This makes shopping a little risky. I don't need more stash because I'm not using what I have, but it can be inspiring to have new fabric. And I still sew things in my mind. Sadly, I think some of it leads to what I'd call "analysis paralysis" at work. Looking at so many things at the same time can bring you to a full stop from indecision rather than pushing you to do more.
I thought that I was showing restraint. I haven't been in a Fabricland for ages. I limited myself to a couple of pieces of fabric when my parents were away, a few things at the sewing meet up... But in taking pictures, this doesn't look like much restraint.
When my parents go to Florida, I can't resist buying a few things and having it shipped to them. It's just so cheap. Let's start with Fabric.com purchases, two shirting fabrics
I was thinking about blouses for these shirts. Since adding a little weight and buying a new bra (and accepting an additional cup size) my summer shirt wardrobe has shrunk. Things that I could kind of get away with are not going to work this summer. My employers dress code is casual but not so casual that I can wear tshirts. Say, either of these in an Alma with jeans would be perfect for the three days I'm there. Add dress pants and it might work with my clients office.
Then I ordered more bra making supplies from www.sewsassy.com. I like their prices and with few exceptions the quality has been good. I stuck mostly to findings and elastics.
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| Two types of underwires and nylon coated metal slides. |
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| Wide lace elastic & bra elastics, close up below. |
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| Strap elastic at the top, then band elastic and channeling at the bottom. |
So let's talk underwire for a minute. In deciding that I need to go up a cup size (well, two but down a band size so in sister sizes I mean one) I need new underwires if I want to make bras. Here are a close up of 3 underwires.
To the left is a demi wire I bought a couple of years ago (also from Sew Sassy but I have no idea why I bought it). The white wire is "flex lite" spring steel underwire and the third is wholesaler overstock underwire on the site, sold in packages of 6 pairs. I wish I still had a crappy pair of underwire that they sell at Fabricland. I think I have twist ties that are stronger than they are. They may be fine for a young woman with a small cup size, or maybe a bathing suit, but I as K-Line has pointed out, weak wires can be the downfall of a full support bra. On the Sew Sassy site, they picture the flex lite inside the flat metal wires because the shape/height is a little different. Compared to the flex lite, the flat metal are 3/8" larger inside width but 1/2" smaller inside depth and 1/8" inch smaller in outside length. Looking at the list of underwire sizes you start to understand how not all cup sizes are quite equal. I really like the weight of those flat metal wires.
Two bras that I thought fit well both died because of plastic component failure. It's a sad reason to not have a functional bra. I bought white nylon coated metal (which can be dyed although the odds of me doing that are slim) slides from Sew Sassy. On the Toronto meet up, I found some awesome metal findings (front clasp in the top left corner is plastic but it seems a bit thicker than what I have). Silver isn't as easy to find as you'd think and I like silver accessories.
And then craziness took over. I've made a few bathing suits. I think they represent a good ROI on my sewing time compared to full retail prices assuming you can get the material on sale. I was given a little discount on this but it is probably the most expensive fabric I've ever purchased (on the plus side, you don't need much for a bathing suit).
It's wild. I don't even like orange but the purple (kind of maroon-ish) and black swirls danced before my eyes blinding me. I think my brain was already in Mexico. The feel of this fabric is really nice. It's going to take a little time to cut into this because it may end up being one of those precious fabrics you can't stop touching long enough to cut into.
Given that I have (clearly) a crap ton of recent purchases. I tried to show restraint during the swap. I picked up a piece of stretchy leather looking fabric. Really stretchy, like legging stretchy. I'm pretty sure that Kristiann at Victory Patterns offered this up, she was quite funny in "selling" it to the group. Black photographs so well (did you hear that sarcasm?) I didn't even bother trying to get the black and shiny features but that's it behind the pattern. I have never purchased a Hot Pattern before so I was happy to take this one home. Thanks K-Line!
The fabric is folded back at the spool of thread so you can see the wrong side and get a little sense of the drape. It's kind of cool, like satin but not nearly as shiny (see how light isn't reflecting on any of the folds like the black stretchy stuff). Very soft and a rather substantial weight to it. I love the shades of purple and beige seems like it adds some versatility to it. There is a little one directional stretch to it.
And that is the end of the shopping confessional.
Tuesday, February 5
Puttering
Thank you all so much for the comments on the last post. I think writing that out was good for me, things have definitely improved. I did take suggestions to heart and made sure to take my vitamins and stand at the window when the sun came out. Some of it was just putting my foot forward on smaller projects to get the ball rolling. I am still having some foggy brained moments, but it's not as bad as last week.
We didn't have much planned for the weekend, just dinner at a friends house on Saturday, 4 couples and a child. Mr. Lina is clearly still popular with the 2.5 year old crowd. As much as she was asking where I was, it was Mr. Lina who needed to read her books and fix the play oven when the rack wasn't going in easily.
This did lead to some baby-sad moments on Sunday. Mr. Lina was equating time with our favourite 2.5 year old like drugs. You feel this great high at the time. The good feelings carry over for a while when you think of how good it felt to have them singling you out as someone special or snuggling close. And then you realize that it is gone. She's gone home and it's going to be a while before you can get that feeling back. It's why I don't go to baby showers and I'm hesitant around babies. It feels awesome at the time but sometimes the crash isn't worth the high. I think there will be another crash when Ripley's Kittens are adopted in the next couple of weeks. Most of them are over 2lbs now, it won't be long before they all meet the 2 months and 2lbs for being adopted. Those kittens have provided some very happy distractions for both of us.
One of the great things about this weekend was my use of time, a balance of relaxing and productive. I slept when I was tired, watched old movies and crocheted, transplanted my aloe into a larger (and heavier) pot (Note to Self, next time I move that aloe plant I should wrap it in a towel, my forearms and hands look like I tried to bathe a cat). It started as a 10" pot from Home Depot, it's now 7 plants and about hip high on me in the new larger pot. As happy as it seemed being pot bound in it's second plastic pot, it was pretty tippy hence the move away from plastic pots. I did loads and loads of laundry, I think I washed every towel in the house.
It was a bit of a 3 Hours Past weekend as I made my own laundry detergent, watched Sabrina and pulled out the pattern pieces for Tiramisu and a few knit fabrics (red ponte above maybe?). I did a little tidying in my sewing room, no firm decision making or sewing, but I refolded a few fabrics (including those pictured above and below, that navy modal is soooo soft) pulled out a few patterns, put a few things away. I also went through my bra findings to figure out what I have and what I need (stretch needles!). I won't say it was a hugely productive weekend, but I puttered. I thought. I took care of quite a few small projects I had been ignoring. It felt good.
With my parents in Florida, it's a good time for online shopping and have it shipped to them. I found a great card fabric for Mom's luggage tags. I emailed to ask if she would like that as I would find something for myself and order them together. Amusing thing is she wanted that and 3 other fabrics as well, her bill came to more than mine and qualified us for free shipping. I have ordered 2 pieces of fabric that I think will work for Alma. They are stretch wovens (mostly cotton), Alma doesn't require stretch but 10% stretch might work well for my first go at the pattern. If the bust adjustments aren't perfect the stretch will be more forgiving and being cotton they will be at least 3 season wear. We will see what they actually look like in March when my parents return. I still find shopping for fabric online strange, I miss the tactile sensations.
There is a lot coming up, February is a busy month. This Saturday we're hosting Richie Newton and Rosie Stearns (video below). We're trying to do a head count on attendance, it's a bit frustrating to have so many maybes. We might have 11, we might have 23 (I'm hoping for 23 myself). But that's true with every show, I should know that by now. We have Valentines Day to plan for (more on that later). There is a bowling fundraising dance on the 15th, our annual chili cook off on the 17th, off to Mexico on the 24th... lots to look forward to this month.
We didn't have much planned for the weekend, just dinner at a friends house on Saturday, 4 couples and a child. Mr. Lina is clearly still popular with the 2.5 year old crowd. As much as she was asking where I was, it was Mr. Lina who needed to read her books and fix the play oven when the rack wasn't going in easily.
This did lead to some baby-sad moments on Sunday. Mr. Lina was equating time with our favourite 2.5 year old like drugs. You feel this great high at the time. The good feelings carry over for a while when you think of how good it felt to have them singling you out as someone special or snuggling close. And then you realize that it is gone. She's gone home and it's going to be a while before you can get that feeling back. It's why I don't go to baby showers and I'm hesitant around babies. It feels awesome at the time but sometimes the crash isn't worth the high. I think there will be another crash when Ripley's Kittens are adopted in the next couple of weeks. Most of them are over 2lbs now, it won't be long before they all meet the 2 months and 2lbs for being adopted. Those kittens have provided some very happy distractions for both of us.
One of the great things about this weekend was my use of time, a balance of relaxing and productive. I slept when I was tired, watched old movies and crocheted, transplanted my aloe into a larger (and heavier) pot (Note to Self, next time I move that aloe plant I should wrap it in a towel, my forearms and hands look like I tried to bathe a cat). It started as a 10" pot from Home Depot, it's now 7 plants and about hip high on me in the new larger pot. As happy as it seemed being pot bound in it's second plastic pot, it was pretty tippy hence the move away from plastic pots. I did loads and loads of laundry, I think I washed every towel in the house.
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| Stash fabric from Jan/12, rayon on the left, ponte (Tira?) on the right |
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| Soft modal |
There is a lot coming up, February is a busy month. This Saturday we're hosting Richie Newton and Rosie Stearns (video below). We're trying to do a head count on attendance, it's a bit frustrating to have so many maybes. We might have 11, we might have 23 (I'm hoping for 23 myself). But that's true with every show, I should know that by now. We have Valentines Day to plan for (more on that later). There is a bowling fundraising dance on the 15th, our annual chili cook off on the 17th, off to Mexico on the 24th... lots to look forward to this month.
Friday, November 9
Inspiration & Pattern Adjustments
Are you driven by patterns, fabrics or others? Do you find yourself starting with a pattern and finding the right fabric? Or holding a fabric knowing the right pattern is out there?
I think I am often inspired by fabric. I love thinking of the potential for a fabric - a full skirt, a light blouse, a cosy shirt. As I was working on Burda 118A last night, I realized that fabric had not even come to mind. Here I was, tracing the thing out, taping tissue paper sheets together and starting to cut them out and I had no idea what fashion fabric I was going to use. None. It had not crossed my mind to find one. How weird is that?
One thing I have come to realize is that I have bought lots of:
A year ago when I was up for jury duty (odd how I remember that trip to Fabricland so clearly), I bought this fabric.
From a distance, it reads as a solid, but it's a really nice mix of a plum colour and black in a very small herringbone. It has a little stretch to it, just a little. I'm going to learn from Allison C's issues of the bias skirt causing problems and cut it so the skirt is straight and the bodice is on the bias. The bit of stretch around my hips will help if my estimates on sizing up are a little small. Am I right on that or will disaster ensue?
I've been doing some flat pattern measuring to figure out where I need to add and how much. One thing I found interesting in doing the many measurements that Burda has was the front and back body lengths. I'm 5' and a half inch, not as tall as the 5'6" they are designing for. I was really surprised to see that the front measurement from my shoulder to waist was pretty close to what they were designing for. The back measurement, however, was off by 1.5-2" if I remember right.
Obviously with a FBA, you need more width to go around and deeper darts. I'm 43-44" at my full bust (depending on the bra) and almost 39" at my high bust. The less obvious aspect is adding length to go over those breasts. It seems that in having a fuller bust, I'm ending up with the right body length. But being short, my bust apex is higher than the sloper. In the back, I don't have breasts filling up that volume so I need to remove some length.
I have paused in making my FBA because I need to let my brain simmer a little on how this translates from flat pattern that exists, changes I know I need to add/remove, and my 3D body. Added to this, look at the line drawing, there are no bust darts. The side gathers make it a little hard to figure out where the apex actually is (or how much it matters without darts). I was folding the tissue paper last night to make it look more like the flat finished shirt, tissue paper does not drape like fabric.
I am slow with this stage of sewing. I like to walk away and ponder, maybe pick up something else for 10 minutes and return to it. It's a simmering process for me. As it was approaching 10pm, I also figured it was good to stop rather than push on. I wasn't ready to cut into the fabric yet and that was going to take time when I was ready.
I mentioned in comments a few updates on the fertility process. I passed the skin test for TB. I had my chest x-ray done and here's hoping that confirms the negative test. If not, well, I'm okay with that too except for the fact I'd rather not have a latent case of TB. I am clearly not "pro-Humira", I think I'm more trusting in my doctors opinion than really wanting to take it. A positive test would remove that decision from my hands. I have also booked all the tests the clinic wants for Saturday. So once the x-ray results are back and I've handed over some money and consent forms, we're good to go.
My experience at the x-ray clinic was awesome. No appointment needed, I walked in at 5:20 last night and I was at my car by 5:30. AND the receptionist (in having to type my birthday in) commented on how I looked so much younger than my age. Score!
I think I am often inspired by fabric. I love thinking of the potential for a fabric - a full skirt, a light blouse, a cosy shirt. As I was working on Burda 118A last night, I realized that fabric had not even come to mind. Here I was, tracing the thing out, taping tissue paper sheets together and starting to cut them out and I had no idea what fashion fabric I was going to use. None. It had not crossed my mind to find one. How weird is that?
One thing I have come to realize is that I have bought lots of:
- Poly knits, probably purchased on a 3 for 1 sale
- Rayon fabrics thinking to make Senchas, Sorbettos and Pendrells for summer
- Stretch cottons bought this summer
- Sheer fabrics
- Silk noil
- Crazy fabrics (generally purchased with lingerie in mind so they are a bit costumey)
A year ago when I was up for jury duty (odd how I remember that trip to Fabricland so clearly), I bought this fabric.
From a distance, it reads as a solid, but it's a really nice mix of a plum colour and black in a very small herringbone. It has a little stretch to it, just a little. I'm going to learn from Allison C's issues of the bias skirt causing problems and cut it so the skirt is straight and the bodice is on the bias. The bit of stretch around my hips will help if my estimates on sizing up are a little small. Am I right on that or will disaster ensue?
I've been doing some flat pattern measuring to figure out where I need to add and how much. One thing I found interesting in doing the many measurements that Burda has was the front and back body lengths. I'm 5' and a half inch, not as tall as the 5'6" they are designing for. I was really surprised to see that the front measurement from my shoulder to waist was pretty close to what they were designing for. The back measurement, however, was off by 1.5-2" if I remember right.
Obviously with a FBA, you need more width to go around and deeper darts. I'm 43-44" at my full bust (depending on the bra) and almost 39" at my high bust. The less obvious aspect is adding length to go over those breasts. It seems that in having a fuller bust, I'm ending up with the right body length. But being short, my bust apex is higher than the sloper. In the back, I don't have breasts filling up that volume so I need to remove some length.
 |
| Burda Site for Source |
I have paused in making my FBA because I need to let my brain simmer a little on how this translates from flat pattern that exists, changes I know I need to add/remove, and my 3D body. Added to this, look at the line drawing, there are no bust darts. The side gathers make it a little hard to figure out where the apex actually is (or how much it matters without darts). I was folding the tissue paper last night to make it look more like the flat finished shirt, tissue paper does not drape like fabric.
I am slow with this stage of sewing. I like to walk away and ponder, maybe pick up something else for 10 minutes and return to it. It's a simmering process for me. As it was approaching 10pm, I also figured it was good to stop rather than push on. I wasn't ready to cut into the fabric yet and that was going to take time when I was ready.
I mentioned in comments a few updates on the fertility process. I passed the skin test for TB. I had my chest x-ray done and here's hoping that confirms the negative test. If not, well, I'm okay with that too except for the fact I'd rather not have a latent case of TB. I am clearly not "pro-Humira", I think I'm more trusting in my doctors opinion than really wanting to take it. A positive test would remove that decision from my hands. I have also booked all the tests the clinic wants for Saturday. So once the x-ray results are back and I've handed over some money and consent forms, we're good to go.
My experience at the x-ray clinic was awesome. No appointment needed, I walked in at 5:20 last night and I was at my car by 5:30. AND the receptionist (in having to type my birthday in) commented on how I looked so much younger than my age. Score!
Saturday, September 29
Lost & Found
I seem to be having some issues of misplacing things.
I could have sworn I took the charger for my cell phone with us in Montreal just in case my phone died. When we returned I looked through all the bags. No luck. I was starting to think that I would have to upgrade my phone (I am due for a new one it just seems wasteful when this one still works well enough for me) because I couldn't charge the damn thing.
Mr. Lina asked to take the little camera I generally use for my blog with us to Montreal. Given that I'm the last one to use it 99% of the time since he bought the fancy one, I really should know where it is. Couldn't find it.
On Wednesday night, while snacking at the dining room table at the house concert break, I saw something plugged into the wall on the other side of the table. We don't often have anything plugged in there so it stood out. But with people around I made a note to check later. Sure enough, it was for my cell phone.
It's getting chilly and to get our runs in, we're running a bit late mid-week. I bought some stretchy gloves and wicking undergarments on Monday night. I was searching high and low for the gloves on Thursday night and while I did not find them, I did find the camera sitting on the stairs to upstairs.
So the benefit of me finding the camera? My blog is not text only! Yay!
I mentioned that I got a little twisted around when I got off the subway and went the wrong way on St. Hubert. I didn't appreciate that the first place I went to had prices well labelled and you could see the fabrics. It still felt like a lot of polyesters or I didn't care for the prints, but the notions were pretty cool. The elastics were $1/m and his measuring was by the arm and rather generous, my 4m of strapping elastic measures out to 5m. Aren't those zippers kind of cool? I am not one to do exposed zippers but I thought at 50 cents I'd pick up a few, you never know and they sure look neat. The bottom fabric is a remnant piece, very stretchy, soft. A bit like tricot.
What I thought was really cool was the bra elastic. This is a heavy elastic, satiny on one side and fuzzy on the other. The kind you want for bra straps. It's something I generally order from www.sewsassy.com in standard black and white. Sewsassy charges $0.60-$1.05 per yard for strapping elastic (plus shipping and the really low prices have a minimum of 10 yards). $1 per very generous metre is a pretty good price. To find it in an ice blue and mauve/purple was surprising.
I walked and walked before deciding that for sure I had walked too far. Sure enough, just the other side of Jean Talon, every third store had "Tissues" in the window. Honestly though, by this time my legs were rubbing a bit, my feet hurt and I was hot. I didn't have the patience to lift bolts of fabric and harass people for the prices and fibre content. This would have been more fun with other people to work as a team to identify prices and fibres. Still, I found two pieces of fabric that caught my eye.
Now this fabric has a nice drape, see how it folds nicely where I opened it up? I asked about the fibre content and he didn't seem to be totally sure but it does feel like there is likely some rayon in this woven and it doesn't feel like polyester. I burned a little and it flared up like rayon and there was a tiny bit of beading by the dark purple stripes so maybe there is a bit of synthetic there but it mostly went to ash. I love the shades of purple and there is a little bit of green woven into it. I don't like wearing green so I know this seems lame to others, but it's a stretch out of my normal range of colours even if it's 90% purple. I think it could make a nice Alma blouse, but I'm open to suggestions. I have to say, the place I bought this had the strangest way of cutting. He actually just brought a wooden yard stick to a table full of bolts of fabric and cut it on top of the bolts. Weird, no? There was not a single spot in this store that was not covered in fabric, not even a cutting table.
I could have sworn I took the charger for my cell phone with us in Montreal just in case my phone died. When we returned I looked through all the bags. No luck. I was starting to think that I would have to upgrade my phone (I am due for a new one it just seems wasteful when this one still works well enough for me) because I couldn't charge the damn thing.
Mr. Lina asked to take the little camera I generally use for my blog with us to Montreal. Given that I'm the last one to use it 99% of the time since he bought the fancy one, I really should know where it is. Couldn't find it.
On Wednesday night, while snacking at the dining room table at the house concert break, I saw something plugged into the wall on the other side of the table. We don't often have anything plugged in there so it stood out. But with people around I made a note to check later. Sure enough, it was for my cell phone.
It's getting chilly and to get our runs in, we're running a bit late mid-week. I bought some stretchy gloves and wicking undergarments on Monday night. I was searching high and low for the gloves on Thursday night and while I did not find them, I did find the camera sitting on the stairs to upstairs.
So the benefit of me finding the camera? My blog is not text only! Yay!
I mentioned that I got a little twisted around when I got off the subway and went the wrong way on St. Hubert. I didn't appreciate that the first place I went to had prices well labelled and you could see the fabrics. It still felt like a lot of polyesters or I didn't care for the prints, but the notions were pretty cool. The elastics were $1/m and his measuring was by the arm and rather generous, my 4m of strapping elastic measures out to 5m. Aren't those zippers kind of cool? I am not one to do exposed zippers but I thought at 50 cents I'd pick up a few, you never know and they sure look neat. The bottom fabric is a remnant piece, very stretchy, soft. A bit like tricot.
What I thought was really cool was the bra elastic. This is a heavy elastic, satiny on one side and fuzzy on the other. The kind you want for bra straps. It's something I generally order from www.sewsassy.com in standard black and white. Sewsassy charges $0.60-$1.05 per yard for strapping elastic (plus shipping and the really low prices have a minimum of 10 yards). $1 per very generous metre is a pretty good price. To find it in an ice blue and mauve/purple was surprising.
I walked and walked before deciding that for sure I had walked too far. Sure enough, just the other side of Jean Talon, every third store had "Tissues" in the window. Honestly though, by this time my legs were rubbing a bit, my feet hurt and I was hot. I didn't have the patience to lift bolts of fabric and harass people for the prices and fibre content. This would have been more fun with other people to work as a team to identify prices and fibres. Still, I found two pieces of fabric that caught my eye.
This is a pretty heavy fabric, cotton sateen with a little synthetic to add a bit of stretch is my guess. It can't be much synthetic, it didn't bead up when I burned a little. I've put a little penny to give some scale to those dots, the penny can cover the dots pretty much perfectly. I thought the cream coloured background was really nice. It's a bit stiff, not a whole lot of drape to this fabric. I think it would be lovely as a Cambie dress, the A line skirt version. It's way too heavy for the full skirt.
Now this fabric has a nice drape, see how it folds nicely where I opened it up? I asked about the fibre content and he didn't seem to be totally sure but it does feel like there is likely some rayon in this woven and it doesn't feel like polyester. I burned a little and it flared up like rayon and there was a tiny bit of beading by the dark purple stripes so maybe there is a bit of synthetic there but it mostly went to ash. I love the shades of purple and there is a little bit of green woven into it. I don't like wearing green so I know this seems lame to others, but it's a stretch out of my normal range of colours even if it's 90% purple. I think it could make a nice Alma blouse, but I'm open to suggestions. I have to say, the place I bought this had the strangest way of cutting. He actually just brought a wooden yard stick to a table full of bolts of fabric and cut it on top of the bolts. Weird, no? There was not a single spot in this store that was not covered in fabric, not even a cutting table.
So I didn't go wild and crazy, but I have a few nice pieces of fabric to remember Montreal by.
Now, to find where I put those gloves...
Tuesday, September 18
Montreal is awesome.
Yeah, I already knew that.
The screening went well, people laughed at the right time and the applause at the end was genuine and more enthusiastic than other films. Mr. Lina felt pretty good about that. He also had a chance to meet Tom Savini and get his copy of Day of the Dead signed. Last year they entered a costume contest with two of the zombies from the movie (one being Mr Lina) and Tom awarded them first prize. Mr. Lina was pretty pleased to be able to give him a copy of the final movie. It seemed like Tom remembered them (well, Humphrey costume, not Mr. Lina specifically).
I did manage to sneak away for a bit on Saturday afternoon to find some fabric stores. Sadly my sense of direction is not so good. I found St Hubert and Jean Talon, but went the wrong way on St Hubert. I did find a fabric store that was all kinds of crazy polyester, but they had some great bra strap elastic in colours other than black and white. By the time I figured I had walked too far and turned around, it was getting late and I was tired. In the end I did visit a handful of stores, but it was a little overwhelming at times. Stacks and stacks of fabric, most without prices on them or notes on the content. I bought two pieces, a remnant, elastics and buttons. I'll post about them when I get pictures. On the bright side, this leaves some birthday money to purchase Gertie's book.
I wore a lot of me-made clothing. Sencha going there, Sorbetto on Saturday, a cloned tank top to the bar on Saturday night. Mr. Lina took lots of pictures of me, but not many that show the me-made aspects of my wardrobe.
I really should revisit Sencha. I made two of them. I like them, but after the "wow I did that" has worn off, I don't love them. The neckline is too high. I don't know if I followed the button placement for either all that well but I needed to add clear snaps in between the buttons to keep it closed. I dunno, it's a good blouse, but I don't think I got either right.
I wore the second one on Friday and I was so happy to take it off, it kept pulling forward and I found myself constantly trying to make it sit in the right place. I'd like to revisit it at some point to see if I could make it right, I feel like it should suit my figure better.
One top I have been wearing a lot is the top from Butterick 5147.
It's a lifestyle wardrobe and I bought this prior to blogging. I've made the top up twice, had intentions to make a dress or the skirt and just never quite did it. The first version I really made too big. I think this was prior to the enlightenment of FBA. It does fit my bust well, it's more that the shoulders are a little wide and it feels like there could be a fold at the neck. On the bright side I got the waist darts right so there is great waist/bust definition going on. I usually wear a heavy necklace to hold the neckline down and stop me from playing with the extra fabric. The second time, I made it smaller, took that fold out of the neckline. The fabric I chose had a little stretch so that was the second reason for making it smaller. Too bad I didn't think about making the lining stretch too. It has always been a little snug but okay, but I am rather certain I'd feel like a sausage in it at the moment. As much as it is a tank top, it's lined and the fabrics I chose are polyester suiting (which are nicer than that sounds). I find them too warm for summer, but in winter I put a cardigan or jacket over top and it's perfect.
The change in season has me looking at my wardrobe again. With fall arriving, I feel bored of my summer clothing. I don't want to wear socks, but it will be refreshing to pull out a few things I haven't worn in a while. And it seems some are not as worthy of favourite status and B5147 is showing me that it really should have a prominent spot in my work wardrobe.
The screening went well, people laughed at the right time and the applause at the end was genuine and more enthusiastic than other films. Mr. Lina felt pretty good about that. He also had a chance to meet Tom Savini and get his copy of Day of the Dead signed. Last year they entered a costume contest with two of the zombies from the movie (one being Mr Lina) and Tom awarded them first prize. Mr. Lina was pretty pleased to be able to give him a copy of the final movie. It seemed like Tom remembered them (well, Humphrey costume, not Mr. Lina specifically).
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| Mr. Lina & Tom Savini |
I wore a lot of me-made clothing. Sencha going there, Sorbetto on Saturday, a cloned tank top to the bar on Saturday night. Mr. Lina took lots of pictures of me, but not many that show the me-made aspects of my wardrobe.
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| Honest, Sorbetto is under there. At the steps of Notre Dame Cathedral, resting my feet. |
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| Senchs #2 with Annabelle Chvostek last Thanksgiving. |
I wore the second one on Friday and I was so happy to take it off, it kept pulling forward and I found myself constantly trying to make it sit in the right place. I'd like to revisit it at some point to see if I could make it right, I feel like it should suit my figure better.
One top I have been wearing a lot is the top from Butterick 5147.
It's a lifestyle wardrobe and I bought this prior to blogging. I've made the top up twice, had intentions to make a dress or the skirt and just never quite did it. The first version I really made too big. I think this was prior to the enlightenment of FBA. It does fit my bust well, it's more that the shoulders are a little wide and it feels like there could be a fold at the neck. On the bright side I got the waist darts right so there is great waist/bust definition going on. I usually wear a heavy necklace to hold the neckline down and stop me from playing with the extra fabric. The second time, I made it smaller, took that fold out of the neckline. The fabric I chose had a little stretch so that was the second reason for making it smaller. Too bad I didn't think about making the lining stretch too. It has always been a little snug but okay, but I am rather certain I'd feel like a sausage in it at the moment. As much as it is a tank top, it's lined and the fabrics I chose are polyester suiting (which are nicer than that sounds). I find them too warm for summer, but in winter I put a cardigan or jacket over top and it's perfect.
The change in season has me looking at my wardrobe again. With fall arriving, I feel bored of my summer clothing. I don't want to wear socks, but it will be refreshing to pull out a few things I haven't worn in a while. And it seems some are not as worthy of favourite status and B5147 is showing me that it really should have a prominent spot in my work wardrobe.
Friday, June 15
And the Stash Grows
I have hit 3 Fabriclands this week, two of them twice. Let's see how I'm doing:
There seems to be an imbalance there. Maybe a decimal point in the wrong spot. The little pieces for Mom on the right look sad beside my big chunks of fabric. Black noil is a bit hidden on the far left but given that we all know what black looks like I didn't worry about that too much.
In my defence...
And in other news, HCG is down to zero. No more tests for me. Next stop seeing my doctor on July 13th. I feel some relief that I don't have to get tested again, but given that I started crying buckets watching the video Oona posted that has nothing to do with babies but my mind just saw an angel, maybe it hurts more than I thought.
I am going to go to the family dinner tonight. I don't know how it's going to go but if it's like Christmas, the build up is worse than the event. I am not beating myself up about it or overly stressed, it seems like it's a good time for our family to be around each other. My middle brother, "Scot", is separating from his wife (again). It seems they are both still in love with each other, but not with the life that the other person wants to live. Things got better after their first separation, but they are heading back in the same direction because they simply don't want the same things in life. It is sad, but I see his point. I'm not the only one going through a rough spot. It was Scot's birthday on Wednesday, I took him out for lunch and I was the first of our family he told. Apparently he tried to tell our parents on the weekend and chickened out. I get that, it's not easy to say sad things even if in the long run this is to make him happy. So, I'll just tell myself I'm going to support him and take Mom some fabric. The rest, well, wine will cover the rest.
Mom
- .5m of an Aboriginal themed print in red
- .5m of the same print in blue
- .5m of a fabric that is not what she wants but it had dice and was on clearance
Seraphinalina
- 4m silk noil - black
- 4m silk noil - red
- 4m silk noil - beige
- 2m cotton poplin
- 2m black knit interfacing
- 3m silk noil - royal purple, not as blue as in the picture
- 3m silk cotton
In my defence...
- All silk noil was $5/m, I blame ElleC. I had to listen to her and buy what I could afford
- Cotton poplin will solve a loose pair of red capris I love but struggle to wear and it was marked down to $7/m.
- Can you ever go wrong with interfacing purchases? It's like thread, you just need it.
- At least, is it ever wrong to buy vaguely decent interfacing? It can go horribly wrong if it's bad product.
- Silk cotton was regularly $25/m down to $6.25/m in the clearance area, it is another colourway of the pink silk cotton I bought a little while ago.
- I know, I haven't used that piece up either.
And in other news, HCG is down to zero. No more tests for me. Next stop seeing my doctor on July 13th. I feel some relief that I don't have to get tested again, but given that I started crying buckets watching the video Oona posted that has nothing to do with babies but my mind just saw an angel, maybe it hurts more than I thought.
I am going to go to the family dinner tonight. I don't know how it's going to go but if it's like Christmas, the build up is worse than the event. I am not beating myself up about it or overly stressed, it seems like it's a good time for our family to be around each other. My middle brother, "Scot", is separating from his wife (again). It seems they are both still in love with each other, but not with the life that the other person wants to live. Things got better after their first separation, but they are heading back in the same direction because they simply don't want the same things in life. It is sad, but I see his point. I'm not the only one going through a rough spot. It was Scot's birthday on Wednesday, I took him out for lunch and I was the first of our family he told. Apparently he tried to tell our parents on the weekend and chickened out. I get that, it's not easy to say sad things even if in the long run this is to make him happy. So, I'll just tell myself I'm going to support him and take Mom some fabric. The rest, well, wine will cover the rest.
Wednesday, June 13
My Mother the Enabler
Let's get back to sewing for a bit, eh?
I have mentioned my mom also sews and she sells her work. One of the things she sells is luggage tags. This is a picture of a new fabric she was hoping for help on naming so they don't have the tags on them yet but you can see more on her Etsy site as well.
Mom has an incredible assortment of luggage tags. She makes 12-24 of each print and moves on. She has multiple shoe boxes of these things done at any given time. Some of the prints take a little while to find a home but it makes for a great assortment.
Someone recently inquired for a larger purchase. A bridal party that were going to Vegas so they wanted a bunch that were like one she sold on Etsy a while ago.
She dug through her bin to find no more finished tags and no more fabric. She had to say no, but it brought to light a "theme" that was missing in her stock. Guess what I'm on the hunt for now? She's checking all the Fabriclands near her, I'm checking the 4 that are easier for me to access.
Let's just review a few facts...
What did I find? Silk noil, 45" wide, regularly $20/m on sale for $5/m. All solid colours, I bought 4m of it in black. I have not worked with silk noil before so I'd be happy to hear from any of you if you have and suggestions on best uses. I was thinking it could be a nice dress but in purchasing black, I was also thinking maybe light summer pants? I think it would work well with the pants blocker that I worked on with StephC. I did not take a picture of the noil, you know how black photographs. Good reviews may result in me going back for something a little brighter, they did have about 8 bolts in colours other than black.
I also bought 2m of a cotton print, sort of a buff yellow background with red poppy like flowers. Mostly because the red matched the capris I was wearing at the moment and I struggle to build an outfit with those pants so it will fill a gap in my summer wardrobe. It might be a good one to try the Pendrell blouse. I bought the pattern when I got Renfrew but I haven't tried it yet.
Prior to "bad things happening", we were in Toronto with friends from Vancouver. I happen to have ended up with a "Renfrew Action Shot". I wasn't drinking so most places I was asking for some form of bubbly water or club soda and a lime. At the Irish Embassy, I ended up with a poorly cut piece so it was really two wedges that weren't cut through and I was a bit excited as I really like limes. So for the next round, our friends asked for LOTS of limes for me. They delivered.
May I say I love my Renfrews. I know I've gone on and on when I made a bunch of them, but it's good to revisit after the first excitement of something new is gone and they have hit the wash a few times. I still love them all. I have found they fit in lots of situations. Above, I'm wearing stretch velvet pants so it's all fancy for a nice dinner out with friends. The fabric has washed well, no pilling yet. Same with my black short sleeve version. My original blue/brown/black/white bricks has a bit of a stain on one of the white bricks. It's not overly noticeable but it's held me back from wearing it as much as the others. Still, total win of both pattern and fabric.
Silk noil? Any horror stories? Watch outs? Love it because...? Should I buy more?
I have mentioned my mom also sews and she sells her work. One of the things she sells is luggage tags. This is a picture of a new fabric she was hoping for help on naming so they don't have the tags on them yet but you can see more on her Etsy site as well.
Mom has an incredible assortment of luggage tags. She makes 12-24 of each print and moves on. She has multiple shoe boxes of these things done at any given time. Some of the prints take a little while to find a home but it makes for a great assortment.
Someone recently inquired for a larger purchase. A bridal party that were going to Vegas so they wanted a bunch that were like one she sold on Etsy a while ago.
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| Last one. |
Let's just review a few facts...
- I haven't been able to sew much with all this restrictions on moving and feeling crappy
- I haven't gone shopping because I haven't been walking all that much lately.
- I also have tried not to go shopping because I have enough stash to sew through.
What did I find? Silk noil, 45" wide, regularly $20/m on sale for $5/m. All solid colours, I bought 4m of it in black. I have not worked with silk noil before so I'd be happy to hear from any of you if you have and suggestions on best uses. I was thinking it could be a nice dress but in purchasing black, I was also thinking maybe light summer pants? I think it would work well with the pants blocker that I worked on with StephC. I did not take a picture of the noil, you know how black photographs. Good reviews may result in me going back for something a little brighter, they did have about 8 bolts in colours other than black.
I also bought 2m of a cotton print, sort of a buff yellow background with red poppy like flowers. Mostly because the red matched the capris I was wearing at the moment and I struggle to build an outfit with those pants so it will fill a gap in my summer wardrobe. It might be a good one to try the Pendrell blouse. I bought the pattern when I got Renfrew but I haven't tried it yet.
Prior to "bad things happening", we were in Toronto with friends from Vancouver. I happen to have ended up with a "Renfrew Action Shot". I wasn't drinking so most places I was asking for some form of bubbly water or club soda and a lime. At the Irish Embassy, I ended up with a poorly cut piece so it was really two wedges that weren't cut through and I was a bit excited as I really like limes. So for the next round, our friends asked for LOTS of limes for me. They delivered.
Silk noil? Any horror stories? Watch outs? Love it because...? Should I buy more?
Thursday, May 10
Fantasy Orange Sewing
So... it seems proof reading was not one of my strengths last night. I updated the title so it's not Fantasty but just Fantasy Orange Sewing. As tasty as oranges are, I don't plan on eating zippers or bias tape.
What a week. I am still tap dancing a bit at work and I really should be doing some of it now but I need me-time too. There have been some long days this week, a few stressful tears on Wednesday, but I see a little light at the end of the tunnel. By the time the FET gets here, I'll be ready for a couple of days off.
In April, I debated about doing Me Made May. It seems like a lot of fun and I can see how there is learning if your challenge is appropriate to your current wardrobe. I think I can wear something self made every day, even if some days it's just my bra and panties. But I opted not to officially join because with the FET (and Mother's Day is typically not good for my mental health), it seemed like too much. To participate, I would need to set the bar so low it really wasn't a challenge which defeats the purpose. I have, however, been trying to pay attention to what I have been wearing, picking more me-made items and seeing if I'm up to it. So far so good. 8 days I've worn external me-made clothing, 2 days it was only my own bra and panties, but still, I'm wearing something I made every day. I would have found it impossible to document. I appreciate all the pictures participants put together, the weekly collages, and I am so not able to take daily pictures right now.
And in the spirit of fantasy sewing... I won a pile of orange. I thought I'd see if there was anything that would match/contrast well with the lovely assortment of orange. And you know what I bought last month?
Also in my list of fantasy sewing is a Sorbetto top to go with my pj bottoms. I am finding that I like wearing the shorts around the house. They are quite comfortable and the right mix of ease to be both comfortable and not feeling bulky. Honestly I have only slept in them once, but they are finding a spot in my wardrobe and washed up to bubbly seersucka goodness.
Fantasy sewing #3 is more funtional. I could actually use more Renfrews, but without the cowl so they aren't so distinctive. I wore the purple one today with a black skirt and felt really good, but it's getting a shade too warm for them. Three quarter sleeve in a more breathable knit would be handy. Also, bottoms. I have a lot of dresses and tops, one skirt, and no pants. So either I'm head to toe in a dress I made or it's a top. More skirts or pants would give me more versatility for a Me Made Month.
And reminders to myself for the next FET:
What a week. I am still tap dancing a bit at work and I really should be doing some of it now but I need me-time too. There have been some long days this week, a few stressful tears on Wednesday, but I see a little light at the end of the tunnel. By the time the FET gets here, I'll be ready for a couple of days off.
In April, I debated about doing Me Made May. It seems like a lot of fun and I can see how there is learning if your challenge is appropriate to your current wardrobe. I think I can wear something self made every day, even if some days it's just my bra and panties. But I opted not to officially join because with the FET (and Mother's Day is typically not good for my mental health), it seemed like too much. To participate, I would need to set the bar so low it really wasn't a challenge which defeats the purpose. I have, however, been trying to pay attention to what I have been wearing, picking more me-made items and seeing if I'm up to it. So far so good. 8 days I've worn external me-made clothing, 2 days it was only my own bra and panties, but still, I'm wearing something I made every day. I would have found it impossible to document. I appreciate all the pictures participants put together, the weekly collages, and I am so not able to take daily pictures right now.
And in the spirit of fantasy sewing... I won a pile of orange. I thought I'd see if there was anything that would match/contrast well with the lovely assortment of orange. And you know what I bought last month?
Indoor lighting sure changes the colours in pictures. The picture on the right is a daylight picture from when I bought the fabric, left I took tonight with some of the orange assortment. It sure is a vibrant print. I bought 2m (45" wide) of cotton sateen, a lovely weight for a skirt or fitted dress. It is soft to touch, but too heavy for anything with pleats, blousing or bulk, it wouldn't drape well and I don't need additional bulk. Now to find the right pattern that requires an orange zipper (or three). I have a RTW A-line skirt in a similar weight fabric that I wear a lot in summer, something similar would be nice. I could use the same pattern I used for the grey corouroy skirt, I like the shape of it (although the waist could use a little tweaking).
Or maybe B5147, they say I'd need 2.2m of 115cm wide fabric for that black dress on the bottom. I have 2m and whatever little extra I got on the cutting table, but I'm short. I would likely lose 10cm or so in length so maybe I could eek it out. I like the idea of a dress because I'd need to make a top to go with a skirt, my black t's would be fine on the weekend but not for work. A dress would need some black accents to just tone it down a bit.
Fantasy sewing #3 is more funtional. I could actually use more Renfrews, but without the cowl so they aren't so distinctive. I wore the purple one today with a black skirt and felt really good, but it's getting a shade too warm for them. Three quarter sleeve in a more breathable knit would be handy. Also, bottoms. I have a lot of dresses and tops, one skirt, and no pants. So either I'm head to toe in a dress I made or it's a top. More skirts or pants would give me more versatility for a Me Made Month.
And reminders to myself for the next FET:
- Biore face cloth are actually keeping the hormone acne at a reasonable level. Break outs have been an issue in some cycles but not all. It's pretty bad this time with pimples popping up in non-typical spots like beside my eyes at the side of my face and between my nose and lips. I don't like using chemicals but salicylic acid in those cloths are keeping the teenage look at bay.
- Day after intralipids I felt awake and amazing, it was a very productive day.
- Insomnia is a side effect of Lupron. I was rereading a personal journal from a few years ago and I noted restless nights and that Lupron may be to blame. I am sleeping, but it is taking me longer to fall asleep (which I was attributing to work stress and Mr. Lina snoring, I usually sleep through it if I fall asleep first and nose strips made a huge difference) and I'm restless at night - hot, cold, dreaming, etc. Mr. Lina and I were actually talking to each other at 3am last night.
Sunday, April 22
Pants Update & Dreams
I did a little bit of work in the sewing room this weekend and will be returning after posting this. Friday night I washed up all the fabric (except the swimwear) and it all came out just lovely. The cotton/silk was still feeling so very soft, the red cotton twill is still vibrant and ironed well. So, all is good.
I cut up another vesion of my pants blocker with the tweak to the front suggested from the last pair. The wiggle at the side seam is gone, there was some extra fabric between the legs, I'm still finding the right amount to tweak there. Sad thing is I did that version in some striped fabric passed along by my mom that could be cute pj bottoms. I should have noticed how clearly I could see the green cutting mat under it. Let's just say I'm not taking pictures of myself wearing those shorts even for myself just to be safe. Mr. Lina was very happy with the view from the back so a big high 5 to The Consultative Dressmaker for that. He is sometimes vague when things don't look right because he doesn't have the vocabulary (it comes out like "there are pleats there" even though nothing is pleated, the fabric is folding into itself), but when things are right, he finds the words. At this point I feel confident enough to try the red twill shorts. That's up for this afternoon.
I am quite certain I was dreaming about fabric last night. I don't remember the dream, but I do remember rolling over and thinking "Oh I'll have to put that on my blog tomorrow". Damn it, why can't I remember what the heck was going on in the dream itself? Bah. I'll take it as a good sign that I want to be in my sewing room and my brain is probably working on the shorts issue and what to do with that cotton/silk stripe fabric.
I cut up another vesion of my pants blocker with the tweak to the front suggested from the last pair. The wiggle at the side seam is gone, there was some extra fabric between the legs, I'm still finding the right amount to tweak there. Sad thing is I did that version in some striped fabric passed along by my mom that could be cute pj bottoms. I should have noticed how clearly I could see the green cutting mat under it. Let's just say I'm not taking pictures of myself wearing those shorts even for myself just to be safe. Mr. Lina was very happy with the view from the back so a big high 5 to The Consultative Dressmaker for that. He is sometimes vague when things don't look right because he doesn't have the vocabulary (it comes out like "there are pleats there" even though nothing is pleated, the fabric is folding into itself), but when things are right, he finds the words. At this point I feel confident enough to try the red twill shorts. That's up for this afternoon.
I am quite certain I was dreaming about fabric last night. I don't remember the dream, but I do remember rolling over and thinking "Oh I'll have to put that on my blog tomorrow". Damn it, why can't I remember what the heck was going on in the dream itself? Bah. I'll take it as a good sign that I want to be in my sewing room and my brain is probably working on the shorts issue and what to do with that cotton/silk stripe fabric.
Given that I have no pictures to contribute with my poor choice in muslin fabric, how about some music? May 12th we're hosting HOTCHA! There is a bit of audience noise, but you'll get a feel for the pace of most of their music.
UPDATE: Picture of my red shorts that are still a work in progress. I still have too much fabric between my legs but wow, pinning did not work out. Sure, I pinned out the extra fabric but the back side became a sea of wrinkles. I'll keep fiddling around, but I thought I'd share my afternoon of work with you.
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| A little extra fabric in the thigh, but not bad through waist/hips. Invisible zipper at centre seam. |
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| Hmm, what's that extra fabric poking through by my leg... |
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| What the heck is going on back there? |
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| Not too bad after pinning, you say? |
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| What happened to my nice bum? Pinning fail. |
Friday, April 20
I may have gone to Fabricland
And if I did pass Fabricland... things may have followed me home.
All I really wanted was some bottom weight fabric that wasn't expensive but nice enough to wear as shorts if they turned out and not black so the wrinkles will photograph for feedback. I was working on the pants blocker last night and I think it's looking okay. But the few bottom weight fabric I have are either not something I would wear as shorts or I would be upset if it turned into a wadder. I knew I could make a little detour today on my way home and find something suitable.
Little did I know they would have an incredible selection of cotton sateen and other fabrics that were at least 40% off. Such hard decisions had to be made. Really hard.
In the end, I bought a bathing suit fabric that is on the far left in the picture. It's a panel piece, mostly black with a big, bright blue swirl 4 times over the 90cm (1 yd) piece.
I have made a bathing suit before and adore it, I have another piece of swimwear that will be a bathing suit at some point... so why buy this? I find most of the swimwear at Fabricland has a white background. Now I do line my bathing suits, but I don't like starting with a potentially translucent fabric and it's a lot of work to end up with something I won't wear because of colour. This piece was originally $18/m and on sale for $8/m. For $7.20, I can't lose.
The pink stripes on the left was in the remnant stacks. You can't really see the stripes well in the top picture so I took another picture inside the house above. 60% cotton, 40% silk, it is light as a feather, slightly sheer and it feels divine. Originally $25/m, I got it for $6.25/m. I bought 2m. I have no idea what I'll do with it, but I just had to take some home. Suggestions? I'm not one who is typically drawn to stripes.
Next is the red cotton twill I bought to test out the pants blocker. I think it could be fun summer shorts, possibly a skirt depending on what is left. I bought 2m, 40% off, $11/m marked to $6.6/m.
And the 97% cotton 3% spandex sateen... There were soooo many prints I was drooling over, I'm sure I'll end up buying another print if I went back. This one is pretty vibrant, I thought of my inner Oona and tried not to fear the colour. It could be great with black details to tone it down. That was 50% off too, started at $18/m I paid $9/m for two metres.
Last but not least was the end piece of cotton (it is from the "Madras Collection" for those of you with Fabricland nearby). It's 100% cotton except for the metallic thread running through, very similar to what I've ear marked for my pj's (although my pj print doesn't have the metallic threads). After realizing the state of my summer pj's and the interest to try out a few different styles, at $3/m it could be handy. I got the last metre on the bolt.
I do shop faster than I sew, don't I? This is why I have not been into Fabricland for a while, I get into trouble every single time.
Little did I know they would have an incredible selection of cotton sateen and other fabrics that were at least 40% off. Such hard decisions had to be made. Really hard.
In the end, I bought a bathing suit fabric that is on the far left in the picture. It's a panel piece, mostly black with a big, bright blue swirl 4 times over the 90cm (1 yd) piece.
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| With a pencil crayon (I mean, coloured pencil) for perspective. |
Next is the red cotton twill I bought to test out the pants blocker. I think it could be fun summer shorts, possibly a skirt depending on what is left. I bought 2m, 40% off, $11/m marked to $6.6/m.
And the 97% cotton 3% spandex sateen... There were soooo many prints I was drooling over, I'm sure I'll end up buying another print if I went back. This one is pretty vibrant, I thought of my inner Oona and tried not to fear the colour. It could be great with black details to tone it down. That was 50% off too, started at $18/m I paid $9/m for two metres.
Last but not least was the end piece of cotton (it is from the "Madras Collection" for those of you with Fabricland nearby). It's 100% cotton except for the metallic thread running through, very similar to what I've ear marked for my pj's (although my pj print doesn't have the metallic threads). After realizing the state of my summer pj's and the interest to try out a few different styles, at $3/m it could be handy. I got the last metre on the bolt.
I do shop faster than I sew, don't I? This is why I have not been into Fabricland for a while, I get into trouble every single time.
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