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Monday 28 February 2011

Absolutely Nothing

It's amazing how a full day of work zaps my energy. Hopefully, I'll adjust to this working stuff soon. It's frustrating to come home with the evening ahead of me and yet do nothing - like Saturday. After work, I read a book. I was exhausted.

Yesterday was one of those ugly days. Those of you who are mothers can relate. It was one of the ones where you're completely worn down by a particular battle, a day of alternating tears and upset. You know how it goes. Not fun.

SO... no sewing to report. I'm working this morning, out for coffee with a friend this afternoon, and back at work tomorrow. Hopefully, there is some time and some energy to work on the dress later today. Once I get beyond the zipper, it should finish quickly although it hasn't moved off the work table since Friday. I have been thinking about a short cropped sweater to go with. Does that count - LOL.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a new day

Friday 25 February 2011

Rebel & Return

Yesterday morning, the sun shone so brightly on my monitor that it was almost impossible to see the words. Such bliss will begin to annoy me over the next few weeks and I'll use all kinds of things to block the rays until the sun's angles change again. Right now, it's a sign of pending spring. It happens every year. How lovely the seasons.




When I got home from my trip, I was disappointed with my dress. The fabric combos are fun especially the print, check, and plain although I think the sash would look better with a plainer, less pleated, front. What bothers me is...




... the uneven waistband. It both dips toward the side and rides up too high in the back. Can you see the red head of the pin at the back? That's where the bottom of the waistband should be. It's more noticeable on me especially with the different lines of fabric. This is my fault. I wanted to focus on learning techniques from Ron and took what I thought was an already fitted pattern which obviously still had some flaws.



It's also over fitted. Somehow, I've gotten into the habit of sewing fitting shells instead of dresses with room to breath. That won't work. I decided to start over with McCall's 5927. Because the pattern comes with A, B, C, and D cup size pieces, I knew I'd be able to work with it and keep the waist seam level but first, I compared the bodice pieces to the Butterick fitting shell pieces and widened the shoulders slightly, about 1/4".




This is the first muslin. One dart in a D cup bodice makes for a HUGE dart that looks like a bullet bra. Not flattering. I altered the dart to a shoulder princess seam. The waist pleat closest to center front and the front bodice dart did not match. One reviewer thought this was her mistake. It's not. It's the pattern. I moved the pleat over to align with the dart, now seam. The back skirt was drafted with a dart at center back incorporated into the seam line. This caused a bubble below the waist. I altered that to a straight center back seam with two back darts each side which is more flattering on my shape anyway. LOL - is it still the same pattern?




This is the final muslin. The bust point is slightly too low and the CB and CF lengths are slightly too long. I altered those and felt confident enough to cut it out in a lightweight denim with a slight amount of stretch. When I stitch the right shoulder, I'll lift the front 1/8" at the neck to get rid of a wrinkle that develops there.




I rebel against and then return to princess seams all the time. They're the most flattering for my figure type and I get tired of them. They also need more clipping and pressing than darts and require some kind of seam finish. I read a while back to stagger the clips on each side of the seam rather than cutting them together. This prevents puckers showing on the front. One side of the seam is is clipped to spread it open. The other side needs little V's taken out to remove bulk where the clips overlap. You can see the overlap in the image above.




I researched finishing princess seams yesterday and one suggestion was mounting, a term I'd never heard of. Basically, you sew another bodice section out of a lightweight, lining type fabric - I used cotton batiste - and then place the two sections wrong sides together with the seams to the inside, baste around the edges, and treat it as one. Because there are darts in the back bodice, I've used this technique only in the front. So far, it seems to work well. I'm ready to sew the waist seams and insert the zipper - invisible - using the technique Ron taught me and my new zipper foot. We'll see how that goes - VBG.

I'm working all day tomorrow but hopefully will have this dress done for next week. Once I know if the waist is working the way I want, I'll redo the print and plain dress. This time, instead of using a check waistband, I'll make a check belt possibly with green piping along the edges and/or a green buckle.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - the ability to keep sewing through disappointments

Thursday 24 February 2011

Inspiration Everywhere

Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic made a resonating comment in her posting Versace Inspired - Some Construction Pictures. She wrote - It's been an interesting process and learning experience. It really hit me that I enjoy interpreting a garment so much more than I like taking pattern pieces out of an envelope, making fitting changes and then sewing up a piece. It really engages and challenges me more.

I returned to sewing fashions from creating textile art. That's quite a change. With art, you're always sitting on the edge of your seat, not quite knowing what's next. With sewing fashions, there's a range however, if you simply follow the pattern, it's more like paint by numbers which isn't really my style. That said, I realized right away that I would have to alter patterns. They wouldn't fit straight out of the envelope anymore like they used to do or at least like I thought they did. I'm more aware now. I want my clothes to fit well. That means alterations. I think that's step one of sewing fashions. Accept it. Get over it. Learn how.

That said, fitting can be frustrating especially when at the end of all those adjustments the garment still doesn't work out as well as you'd hoped. What keeps me going is the ability to use that pattern as the basis for design because ... like Carolyn... what really energizes me with sewing is creating an interpretation of an inspirational picture, refashioning an existing garment, or using inspiration as a starting point for a completely different garment.

With the first, you see a garment you like and recreate it in your size with some alterations. For the most part, it's nearly the same. With the second, you alter an existing garment that is unwearable into a new garment that is - hopefully - both unique and wearable. It's a step by step process. While you might have an idea of the end result, you're never really sure if you'll arrive there or not. This is the closest to the emotions I experienced creating textile art. With the third....




... something you see sparks an idea that is added to a completely different garment and recreated in a new way. Ideas are everywhere. If you are open to receiving them, they will come to you. While wandering around the gift shop on the ferry, I found this t-shirt. The background is knit. The cut portions are batik.

Although they're nothing alike, the rows reminded me of a chapter in Mary Adams The Party Dress Book where she uses bias strips on a skirt. My mind connected the dots and started thinking about knit dresses with details which, if you're familiar with her style, has overtones of Alabama Chanin whose work is all done entirely by hand and contains labour intensive layers of applique as shown on The Maggie Dress for $3,365.00.




Above is another t-shirt detail. The additional applique and running stitches add further interest to the frayed elements. There was another line of clothing in the gift shop called Neon Buddha. The piece that caught my eye was a military styled jacket done in white. The button closures were made from knit appliqued in the shape of braid with a buttonhole in the keyhole shaped end. The edges of the knit curved and rolled much like the batik above. The entire line of clothing seems to be made from knit fabrics and became the inspiration for combining the KwikSew pattern that I showed yesterday with the heavier knit that I bought at Fabricana.

Ideas will mix and match and create exciting possibilities if you allow them to so that after you've spent hours and hours sewing and fitting and perfecting a pattern, you can then use that pattern as a base to design something very new and very fun. This is good because fitting a muslin can become incredibly frustrating. You can begin to wonder if you actually know how to sew and start feeling depressed. It's much better if your mind is dancing with ideas for combining several influences into a dress of your own. YES YES - so much better.




This is the (fourth) muslin I worked on yesterday. For muslin fabric, I'm using whatever I have in stash that will work hence this very fun combo of lime green check and purple zipper. It's one of my "muslin" zippers. I use them over and over again basting them in for fitting and then removing them for the next garment. I also cut up as much of one muslin for use in another as possible. The skirt of this one will most likely become the bodice or sleeves of the next. More about the dress later.

I'm working four hours tonight. It's my first evening shift from dinner to closing. I'm also working all day Saturday which is my first Saturday shift. Other than the fact that I won't get to see my family until almost bedtime tonight, it's quite nice to have an entire day to sew before going to work.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - inspiration

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Addiction Equals Acquisition

Moving about in a daze describes yesterday. Even though I slept well on Monday night, I didn't have enough energy for anything too exuberant. Luckily, I'd booked Tuesday off. I've found it's a lot better to give myself an extra day before and after a trip to get ready and to recover than to go right back to work. This time, I worked the day before due to the new job. Next time, I'll make sure I book it off too.




I learned an interesting tidbit about Vogue patterns. When there is JUST a line drawing on the envelope, the pattern has NEVER been test sewn. When there is a sewn garment, ONLY the view sewn has been tested. That's another reason to appreciate the reviews at PatternReview.com.




The same may or may not be true of other pattern lines. I don't know. With KwikSew 3474, there are only line drawings on the pattern envelope however, at the website, there is also a sewn version. Kathy had a model of this garment sewn up in batik at the Snip & Stitch. I was able to try it on and while I'd prefer a softer fabric, it looked quite good.




Remember the $300.00 dress that I tried on at the dress shop in Nanaimo, the one that had possibilities even though it was too tight? The bodice was sewn with multiple seams like KwikSew 3520. This pattern would be a great starting point for recreating the look. Here's the...




... not so flattering picture of the dress on me. I wanted to see how the skirt portion looked with my hips and it was better than I'd imagined. At the bottom, the seams form a box pleat that is attached to a band. On the sides, there are straps that lift the edges. My version would have a higher neckline and sleeves. It might even be "winterized".



I happened to glance at the KwikSew catalogue while Caroline was flipping through it. She was on this page - 3781 - and all I could think was - I - Want - That - Pattern. Isn't it fabulous? The fabric suggestions are for cotton, cotton types, taffeta, linen, silk, and shantung. I have some crinkle taffeta that I could try it out with. Here's...




... the technical drawing. I think this would be a lot of fun to sew especially if you played with print fabrics - like stripes - or with edge finishes for the frill. Still thinking about it.





I probably would have skimmed right over KwikSew 3827 if it hadn't been for the...

... multiple seams on the back. Version A with it's soft collar appeals to me the most. The sleeves have elbow darts for a nicer fit. Fabric suggestions are linen, cotton types, twill, corduroy, denim, suitings, jacquard, and suede cloth. I'm debating something softer because, as you know, I don't wear jackets. I'd like mine to be more of a sweater version. Maybe I'll use that sweatshirt like fabric that I picked up at Fabricana. The seam lines would help to break up the bold print and show the colors more.



Burda 7532 seemed like a good skirt for my figure type and the new length. It's has similarities without all the pleats which would add considerable weight to my hips. I'd like to try it with one of the cotton voiles from Fabricland and perhaps with the paisley lace with exposed seams on the outside.

All the fabric is washed and dried and ready to be put away. There are fifteen new pieces. Counting them made me shake my head. Fifteen? Really? What was I thinking? I wasn't thinking. Addiction faced with fabric equals acquisition not rationalization - especially fabric on sale.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a day to sew and a daughter who reads my blog daily even though she doesn't sew. LOVE YOU Sweetie.

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Stash Bits & The Drive Home

We left the B & B at 4:13 in the morning. Since she flew, Caroline was home in the early afternoon, around one. I drove. With waits, weather, traffic, and ferries, by the time I arrived home at 4:53 in the afternoon, I was exhausted and crabby. That's not a good ending to a great vacation and I won't be doing that again. I've realized that...

... it's one thing to get up early when someone else is flying your plane and all you have to do is sit in your seat and it's a completely different thing when you're driving yourself. Next time, we can say goodbye the night before, whoever I am traveling with can catch a cab to the airport, and I'll sleep in, have breakfast, leave later, drive more alert, and arrive home happier. I'm getting too old for that early morning stuff - LOL - and that's good learning.




It was a day of misadventures. I just missed the 5:15 ferry and had to wait for the 7:45 one. It didn't really matter because I would have had to wait on one side or the other since I was going to Dress Sew and it wouldn't be open so early only there might have been more to do on the other side than sit in a parking lot.

There was the option of taking a 6:30 ferry to a different port. Now that I know where Dress Sew is, that would have been the better option and a more direct route than the convoluted, right through the center of the city, drive that I took. Next time, I'll know. Luckily, it was much quicker getting back onto the freeway and that was a good thing because it was starting to snow. Snow in Vancouver is not a good thing. I wanted to get as far out of the city as possible before traffic ground to a standstill.




There were two sections of road, each about forty-five minutes long, where the weather was quite bad. On one hill there were long haul trucks parked up both sides either putting on chains or stalled. One had - unfortunately - jack knifed.

A few idiots drove like the wind and - as per usual - I passed them later down the road as they lay in the ditch. My new car worked fabulously. The all wheel drive did exactly what we'd hoped and it drove along securely. It was snowing quite heavily by the time I got home and I woke up this morning to the sound of the snow plow. It was still snowing lightly. I'm glad to be home.




It seemed to take forever to find Dress Sew. Now that I know where it is, that won't be a problem next time. The four pictures in this posting show only PART of two aisles. It's the kind of place to visit when you're well rested and have just had lunch since it's stuffed to the rafters with things stacked everywhere. Digging and stamina are required. I was too tired for that and barely stayed forty minutes. I didn't bother walking around the corner to Button Button. I knew I was too tired for that too. I'd like to go back when I have fabric samples in hand and know which bits and pieces I might need. Maybe sometime in the summer.




This morning is laundry and fabric washing. Once it's folded, I'll need to find spaces for my new stash bits. That might mean clearing out some old stash bits. Things are a bit full in the closet. The new pile is stacked on my work island right now and it's fun to look over and see the colors. I'm glad I focused on less black.

I did a lot of thinking on the drive back. Part of that thinking was about how much fabric I have. Since I tend to buy pieces that are severely reduced, the total amount spent is not nearly as much as the size of the pile might indicate. Even so, there's a lot of fabric there. I'm going back to Nanaimo in the fall and to San Francisco next spring. If I want to buy more fabric, it would be a really good idea to start sewing some of this stuff down and to get rid of whatever doesn't work for me anymore. That awareness is a place of progress. I have a much better understanding of the types of fabrics I like to both sew with and wear and I'm buying less "what were you thinking" types of fabrics. Good.

I also thought about conversation. By the end of the workshop, I had started to feel like that person who is constantly adding their opinion to the conversation, the one who is annoying and intrusive. It may or may not have been true but I did wonder if perhaps my thoughts - although intended to add to the conversation - weren't necessary or even wanted. I wondered if they come across as trying to dominate the conversation or top that story with my own bigger better version. I know that I like to be the center of attention and to entertain people. That doesn't mean I always have to or should. This is an awareness that I'll take with me to the next workshop since I don't want to be annoying like that. I want people to enjoy spending time with me and to benefit positively from the experience. I want them to want to be with me.

I had more thoughts. It was a long drive. I'll tell you about them later and show you the Kwik Sew patterns I picked up tomorrow. They're quite fun.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - safe trip home

Monday 21 February 2011

Dress Progress & Fabricland Fabrics

It's Saturday night. I'm writing Monday's posting now since I won't have time Monday morning. This has been a wonderful workshop so far. There are only four students. Caroline and I have been friends for years and the other two are equally good friends which makes for a great combo AND - even more wonderful - we all seem to sew at a similar level and it looks like we will all finish our project Sunday. Perfect.




My dress is making progress. It's waiting for the sleeves, the bodice lining, and the hem. The sleeves are seamed and hemmed. They just need inserting. The hem is pinned and pressed. It just needs stitching. I'll ask Ron for more info on the lining. He will probably have some tricks since he uses a lining far more often than I do.

Ron is a wealth of information. He knows all kinds of technical tricks which makes for amazing learning for me - like why I need the special foot for invisible zippers and how to match up the seams when inserting an invisible zipper. On the back of my dress, the check band matches both top and bottom beautifully. Just that was worth the price of admission.




I haven't bought as much fabric as I might normally. Because I work at Fabricland, every time I want to make a purchase, I need to find a manager to both cut the fabric and ring it in at the cash register. That does tend to make you think.

In the group above, far left is a embroidered cotton voile, regular $18.00 per meter. Next to it is a very soft lace with a paisley design, regular $21.00 per meter. Both were in the bargain section for $2.50 a meter. I bought a meter of the lace for Sharon as well - for bras. The darker blue print is a sweater knit and next to it is a lace knit. Both were 50% off. I remember that the lace was regular $18.00 but I can't remember the price of the sweater knit. I might not even have looked. I just loved it. It's a paisley. You know how I'm a sucker for paisley.




These fabrics were in the discount section for $1.50 a meter. They are cotton voile. I think the regular price was around $12.00 per meter. The one on the left has a border print on one edge which will be fun to play with. The picture is slightly blurry. That's not the fabric. It's me.




This is the early morning view from the living room of our accommodations. We are staying in a B & B only our part is a two bedroom basement suite with a kitchen, living room with a fireplace, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It's quite wonderful, quite relaxing.

While here, it was payday. I looked online at my bank account and there was the deposit from work. I know it's not much, minimum wage, but how delightful to see a deposit every two weeks. It's been a long time. YES YES

Monday morning, I will drive Caroline to the airport for her six 0'clock flight and then catch an early ferry to the mainland. That will give me time to go to Dress Sew in Vancouver once we dock. Apparently, it's a wonderful world of "stuff". I'll tell you all about it later. Since I've already bought so much fabric - and have a lot at home too - I will focus on buttons and trims and other delightful details.

Talk soon, Myrna

Grateful - paydays

Friday 18 February 2011

Fabricana Fabrics

After I finished writing the last posting, I spent forever filling up that corner jacuzzi and had a delightful bubbling bath. A glass of wine and it would have been perfect only there was no way I was sending for room service. Can you imagine what that would have cost? An astronomical amount I'm sure. Never mind that wine is on my "don't eat" list. The thought was nice.

The drive to the ferry was a bit of a journey. You'd think the on ramp would be right opposite the off ramp and that you'd just get on the highway in reverse of getting off, other side. Not so. I had to drive parallel and make my way over to a different interchange before I could get on but it all worked out in the end. Luckily, I have a good sense of direction. Not the go north or south kind but the left and right and know where you are and where to go from here kind. I had about a twenty minute wait at the ferry and that was it. There was hardly anyone on board so the line-up for breakfast was short.

When we docked in Nanaimo, there was a sailboat in the harbour and it was snowing. Hmm... and they think I'm addicted. That's some dedication. Sailing, in February, in winter, in a snowstorm. I just buy fabric. Here's what I bought at Fabricana on Wednesday.




I bet you know this bundle isn't for me since I'm not a beige girl even with lingerie. It's a meter of soft lace with a double scalloped edge for my friend Sharon who I'm teaching how to sew bras. Actually, I'm done teaching. She knows how and is fine tuning fit and learning now.

The package is of twelve small roses in the exact same cream color. They are in place of a bow. One bow at BraMakersSupply.com is $1.00 although to be fair I just read that I could buy a bag of one hundred bows in assorted colors for $25.00 IF - that is - I wanted a hundred. There were twelve roses in the bag for $1.59. That works. Unfortunately, there weren't any in black for me. The two meters of lace is for trimming cups. See the interesting way that it's rolled? Carol at Fabricana taught me how to do that. It's neat and easy.



These trims are for me. The top one is black chiffon finished on both edges. As you know from an earlier posting, I brought chiffon yardage to use to embellish a t-shirt with. For $0.69 a meter, I decided pre-finished was a better idea. The lace was $1.19 a meter. I wanted two meters but was a good girl and bought the remaining .60 so that there wouldn't be some silly small scrap of a remnant for Carol to deal with - LOL.

I set some guidelines for shopping only allowing myself to buy fabric if it was significantly different than anything I could buy at home, if the price was reasonable, and if it was not black or predominately black. I've always worn black with color only lately it's been a lot of black with a little color. I wanted to shift that ratio a bit.




On the left, is a heavier knit. It's almost sweatshirt weight. My initial thought is a spring jacket of some kind although it's not too heavy to become a dress or skirt. The fabric on the right is for a skirt. It's a knit with rows of frills across it. I intend to cut it to length and width, add a lining that is seamed to the hem pulling the front fabric around and under slightly, and add an elastic waistband. I bought enough extra to cut across and use the frills for embellishment on a top - a completely separate top and NOT a go with top. That would be too matchy matchy for me.




These two fabrics are knits as well. I bought a meter and a half of each which will be enough for a t-shirt with scraps perhaps for a bra to match. It'll depend on what style of t-shirt I sew. Now that I've perfected my T & T pattern, it's time to branch out a little.




On the left is an embellished corduroy. This is the fabric that Carol's (the woman at Fabricana who helped me) vest was made out of. It looked so amazing on her that I wanted one too even though we have vastly different figure types. The vest was atypical, more like a short sleeved top. It had a shaped neckline, a side zipper, and no center front opening. It was short, waist length, and she wore it with a hip length, long sleeved, t-shirt and an ankle length, knit skirt. FABULOUS.

I had a delightful day shopping in downtown Nanaimo. The chocolate cake at Bocca was fab. I found a Joseff Ribkoff skirt in the second hand store for $40.00. GREAT deal. In another store that I really love, they asked me if I'd like a cup of tea. Yes. How nice. After tea, we spent several hours trying on unusual to me clothing styles. There was one dress I absolutely loved and never would have thought looked good on me. Unfortunately, it was too tight or too loose. They didn't have my perfect size. Maybe that was fortunately. It was $300.00. Even on sale that's a LOT, especially to someone who sews. I did buy a lovely necklace at 50% off.

Late afternoon, I picked Caroline up at the airport and we went straight to Fabricland at the absolute opposite end of town to catch the evening sale. She's well stocked up already and we have three days of shopping to go - LOL. Tomorrow night, we won't shop because we've been invited out to dinner. That leaves only bits and pieces of time on Saturday and Sunday. That's good. We've both spent enough already.

Class starts today. I'll tell you about it next week. There may or may not be a posting on Monday depending how things go. The B & B isn't wireless - how strange. - plus Caroline's flight is at 6:00 in the morning which means we'll have to leave here around 4:30. Ouch.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - fabric and friends

Thursday 17 February 2011

Fabricana & My Silly Suite

The drive down crossed numerous terrain and weather changes. It was a chilly -8 Celsius leaving home and a pleasant +4 arriving at the hotel. The worst part of the road was the first forty-five minutes from home with compact snow and slippery sections. The top of the pass was foggy and slippery as well but after that things were great although the weather man was predicting flakes of snow. I was happy to miss that. Flakes of snow will bring traffic to a standstill in the lower mainland. It's like that dusting at Heathrow last Christmas. A major event that is nothing to those of us who live further north.




Isn't this a welcoming building? It's the Fabricana in Richmond, BC, Canada. I'd been here once before so it was much easier to find this time AND... I knew what to expect. I arrived just after lunch and spent about three hours first looking, then filling my cart while looking, and finally getting the fabric cut and paying for it. An extremely friendly woman named Carol cut my fabric. She's of Asian heritage and look GORGEOUS in her outfit. I ended up buying the same fabric, different color, as her vest. I certainly viewed the whole buying process differently now that I'm working in a fabric store. I was very careful to think through my purchases ahead of time, know what I want, and not make a mess.




Fabricana is HUGE. In the view above, I'm standing in one corner taking the image across and even so, you're only seeing about a third of the lower floor. Notice the mezzanine. In the image below...




... I'm standing on the mezzanine taking the picture back toward where I was standing before and you're still only seeing about a third of the lower floor. There are several sections - dance, quilting, wools, bridal, clearance, knits, maybe more - that aren't in the picture. Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing flannel. If it sells like it does at home, there must be a huge section of it somewhere. Fleece and flannel are our top selling fabrics.




The upper level is all home decor. It wraps around two sides of the building and is mostly arranged by color. This image shows a wee tiny portion of the floor. I'm not redecorating any spaces at the moment but next time I am, this is the place to go.

I was intrigued by the pricing throughout the whole store. Many items were considerably less expensive - like half the price - than at home. One wonders about that. I'll show you what I bought tomorrow.




Howard's company has a corporate account at a hotel chain. When I book through them, I'm upgraded to a suite at an inexpensive price. I expected the two floor space as I've stayed in this hotel before. I did not expect the "love" decor. There's a two person jacuzzi tub and only one fleece covered chair that was incredibly uncomfortable to sit in. No desk. No desk chair. I'm typing curled up in the fleece chair only my legs are going numb - LOL. The bed...




... is up the stairs - all fourteen of them. The bathroom - with its two person shower - is directly below the king size bed which means traipsing up and down the stairs every time you have to go. Weird. There's a ton of wasted space downstairs and an incredibly cramped bedroom upstairs. The ironing board is tucked into one corner and the iron is in the cupboard. There is literally not enough floor space to set it up. You'd have to carry it back down the stairs. it's up there because there's no closet down. Someone needs some more drafting, designing, and decorating training. Apparently, this is an "executive suite? What business? - LOL.

I had pre-programmed today's posting but woke up early enough to proof it again before leaving. As you're reading this, I'm already on my way to the ferry planning to catch the early boat and spend most of the day shopping downtown Nanaimo before I pick Caroline up a the airport. I definitely plan to have lunch at the Bocca Cafe. They have gluten free and vegan foods - VERY yummy gluten free and vegan foods. YES YES.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - safe travels

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Inspiration Part Four: Tee Shirts

Two, back to back, eight hour shifts equals stiff, sore, and tired. It's a good thing that the store wasn't as busy as in the last two weeks. Survival in that constant rush would not have been guaranteed. Both I and my feet were glad to see the end of the day especially after an order of twenty-one meters of vinyl. That stuff is heavy.

I packed last night. More like, I threw some clothes at my suitcase and hope there's enough in there to wear. Normally, when I travel, I wear skirts and dress up more. This time, I packed comfort clothes - warm and fuzzy and jeans.

My friend is flying. She'll mange to contain all that she needs in two suitcases, one of which is mostly empty for shopping. Of course, she'll rent machines. Me? I seem to have an entire car full between the machine and serger, the extension table, assorted supplies, the lap top, my knitting, allergy free foods, winter gear, and toiletries. Hmm... oh well. As soon as I hit publish, read blogs and have breakfast, I'll put my things in the car and be off. I'm really looking forward to the holiday. I'll let you know how it goes. For now, here's part four of the inspiration series - tee shirts.




Wandering About - $78.00 - This tee is described as having raw edged trim and sparkling embellishment. If you click through and look at the back, it's quite wide and ripples. I don't like that so much however, the bodice design is gorgeous. I'd prefer it on a more fitted tee.




The same is true with Winner's Circle - $48.00. The waist shaping is non-existent while the embellishment is gorgeous. It carries around to the back at the neck. Often embellishment is in the front only. Continuous is something to consider for future garments.




The embellishment on Twisted Birch - $158.00 - is also continuous AND there is plenty of waist shaping. The fabric is a herringbone textured knit. I like the way it zigzags vertically as opposed to horizontally.




Here's the back view. If you have short hair, the embellishment is like a piece of jewelry. With long hair worn down, it'd be completely hidden.




River Bends - $58.00 - is made from a cotton, polyester, rayon, soft matte jersey. What fun it would be to draft and wear AND...




... the design moves around the back. I think - without having looked at it too closely - that you could mirror the design shape on the front and back pieces.




Perspective Fields - $78.00 - is again shapeless. What I liked about this tee is the detailed inserts. If you click through to Anthropologie's website and hover over the details, you'll see what I mean. Another use for all those bits and pieces that are too pretty to throw away.

That's it. Blogs, breakfast, and I'm off. Have a great day.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a holiday with a good friend doing something we both love

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Inspiration Part Three: Blouses

Normally on Valentine's Day, I would deliver something special to my husband's work in an all man's world, a mechanics shop. Sometimes, it would be a piece of cake; sometimes, it was the whole cake. A latte. Chocolate. A teddy bear. Lunch. Whatever takes my fancy. I started doing this about twenty years ago when I began working from home.

Yesterday, I was working and Howard was home. Mid morning, I glanced up to see my husband walking through the female dominated world of a fabric store with a single rose in a bud vase. Apparently, he had many volunteers to be Myrna on his way through. Too fun. I came home to a dozen red roses which I'll take to work today and leave. The "girls" may as well enjoy them while I'm away.

Last night, I did laundry. Tonight I'll pack. This time, I remembered to hang my favourite jeans up to dry so hopefully they'll relax a little bit from their wiggle in, ease out, status. I did pull across the thighs while the denim was wet just in case that might help.

You might have noticed that I rarely wear and never sew blouses. I never seem to make one that feels comfortable for any length of time. Even so, I picked a few from Anthropologie for inspiration. What they have in common is a soft fabric and a shaped side seam. Nothing is button-up fitted.

I think a casual blouse might be the same as a sweater whereas a button up blouse is the same as a fitted jacket in comfort factor for me. One feels like me and the other not. I like the idea of a blouse, and I used to wear them years ago, so I'll keep trying with a focus on soft fabrics and waist shaping.




Freckled - $98.00 - is a sheer georgette with ruffles. It sounds far too fluffy for me even though I like the soft shaping. Georgette isn't a fabric I enjoy sewing with although I do have some in stash. Perhaps I should use it to try out this style.




When I first looked at the Connection Shell - $68.00 - in navy, it looked a lot more sophisticated. Click through to the site and you'll see what I mean. In the green, it's easy to see the horrendous sewing. Good thing that we can draft and sew a much better version if we want to. This blouse is described as cotton spandex poplin which sounds stiff. It's the tie that gives it the shaping. I don't see why I couldn't do a similar version in something even softer. One feature...




... I really like is the ballerina neckline in front combined with the lower V neckline in back. It's a bit of a surprise. Interesting how the zipper ends all puckered and pointed. What's with that ? ? ?




I bet the reason I liked the Buttondown Cowlneck - $88.00 - is because it's silk with a soft drapey look about it. Again, I don't like sewing with silk. It's way too slippery to be fun. And... even so... I might need to learn how to work with it in order to wear blouses because this is the type of buttoned up blouse I might like. Isn't the collar a fun variation? Maybe sand washed silk?

I'm off to work. Another full eight hours. Yesterday went quite well. My feet are adjusting. It wasn't as busy as the last few weeks have been. There was enough time to put the bolts back and to clear out the mess from under my cutting table. Lots of discount fabric went to the bargain section and a whole lot of remnants were rolled up and priced. I even got to dust the cutting surface and the shelf underneath. Bet I don't get that table again today - LOL ! I left my rose on it. I'll move it wherever I'm going and put the dozen up by the till for everyone to enjoy.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - loving gestures

Monday 14 February 2011

Inspiration Part Two: Sweaters & Skirts

Considering that I'm leaving Wednesday and working all day today and tomorrow, I didn't do nearly enough packing on the weekend. Oh well - at least I have things well planned, know what I'm sewing, and have the pieces cut out AND... I found all the parts in stash. YES YES!




The floral zebra print is a light weight cotton bought in the bargain center last September when Sarah was visiting. We both bought some thinking it would be fun to see what the other made with it. Since I'm only using a small amount for the bodice and sleeves, I'll have enough left for another garment. The check fabric is for the waistband and the green for a sash. The dark blue is a slightly stretchy, light weight denim that I've used for several projects already. It will be all gone after this which is unfortunate since I love it. Hopefully, I'll see something similar while away.




Inspired by Anthropologie's Blooming Goldenrod dress, I'm combining Pattern Master Boutique (PMB) pattern pieces with Vogue pattern pieces for my version. It will have the same PMB bodice used for my interpretation of Vogue 8667 shown last week and a PMB back skirt with two darts and a vent along with the front skirt, neckline shape, and three quarter sleeves from Vogue 8511. I'll cut two strips of the green and seam them together to make the sash.

I'm taking two projects to work on. The second one is a sweater which I'll tell you about in a minute. First, below are the skirts and sweaters that I noted last week when looking at the Anthropologie site. I didn't single out very many because most of their current styles are loose and slouchy. I wonder if that will change for the fall or if it's a younger trend. If you click through to this slide show of Jason Wu's fall 2011 collection, most of the garments are fitted and quite modest. There's no excessively short or deeply plunging anything which is a really nice change. I liked a lot of the pieces.




The style of this skirt - Shaded Glory - $88.00 - is very similar to the bottom of the Vogue 8511 dress. I've been wearing more of this style lately as it seems to flatter my figure. It's feels good in winter with tights but not in summer with bare legs. Then I feel far too naked which is how the short flared skirt of the Vogue 8667 dress felt when I wore it on Friday. Even though it was comfortable, not too tight once worn, and received lots of compliments, I'd want something longer for summer especially with bare legs but not...




... as long as the Seamingly Maxi - $98.00. The drape on this skirt is fabulous. There's a black version as well. I prefer the black to the skewed look of the stripes. It's pull on, made from modal spandex. I imagine it would be quite comfortable and feminine at the same time. It's along the lines of my favourite style.




The Windswept Prairie - $198.00 - looked like the kind of project that Shams at Communing With Fabric would enjoy drafting and sewing. She's incredibly creative and sews detailed clothing. I'm not sure how it would work with my hips but I think it would be fun to sew.




The Stitched Acres - $128.00 - sweater is what I meant by slouchy. I didn't like this sweater. I liked the inspiration of the different knits used together and the curve of the hemline. In stash, I have quite a few textures of grey knit. Thoughts are brewing for combining them.




Organic Chemistry - $248.00 - wasn't a favourite either. Again, it was inspirational. What I liked is the jacket shaping sewn with knits. The tailored structure of a jacket doesn't seem to match my fashion personality. If I sew or buy one, I never wear it. Something softer like this - more than a sweater and less than jacket - could work well.




I took this sweater picture last November when I was snoop shopping at a local store. What I liked ...




... was the lace overlay with the knit. It was feminine without being too fluffy. For my second project...




... I picked a black, medium weight, t-shirt knit and a ribbon overlay. I haven't decided whether I'll buy purchased ribbing, make it from the knit, or knit it from yarn. All three choices would work.

The ribbon overlay is a meter that I picked up last September at the bargain center in Chilliwack. That's all they had for $2.50. I remember it being on the floor for somewhere around thirty so it was a tremendous savings. The amount that I'll need is basically a yoke so there will be more left for another project. For this project, I'm thinking of a short sweater, perhaps an inch or so below waist length, with a longer ribbed section at the bottom starting just below the bust near the empire seam line. I haven't quite decided but I have all the parts and pieces AND...

... if somehow by magic I actually get all that sewn, there is enough of the black knit to make a t-shirt as well as a meter of a black chiffon for some ribbon roses around the neckline. OH... I'll take some beads too... just in case.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - deciding on what I'm taking and having all the supplies in stash