Really Random Thursday

I think it's funny that I feel like my mind is one big ball of randomness so much of the time, but when I want to post really random stuff, it goes blank!

I'm working on a blouse and holy cow, with all the alterations I need, I am ending up with Frankenpattern- I already used a whole roll of tape for this one pattern!  This is just the sleeve- the front body piece is totally unbelievable, but I am also somehow embarrassed to show it to you.

I finally got out my Sizzix BigKick the other day, and made little tags for my Hats for Sailors, and a couple of note cards.  Wow, it was so fun.  I have a plan in my head for a fun tote bag using fusible appliques cut on my Sizzix, but I am making myself finish the blouse first.

I got a case of startitis yesterday and cast on Dusk into Twilight by Romi Hill. It is a fun knit so far, and I keep thinking about using it as a starting point for some wardrobe sewing for Fall (in my little dream world where I just whip up garments and it doesn't require a whole roll of tape!)

Thanks to the FIOS guys, my teenager's first school free day involves jackhammers in the yard at 8am!

Linking up with Live a Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday.

Tada!

I have finished my pillow for the Honeycomb Stitchalong!  First let me send kudos to Jenelle over at Echinops and Aster for putting on this great stitchalong.  The instructions were fabulous, and the entire project was a joy to work on. I bought a kit for the project from Sew Lux Fabric - the kit was beautifully put together, and it made me so happy to be working with the lovely fabrics and threads.  I would definitely enjoy doing another project with Jenelle and I am already window shopping at Sew Lux!

Here's a back view, which I think is really fabulous as well, even if my needle turn applique skills leave something to be desired.

This week was mostly about quilting the pillow top- it has a combination of machine quilting and hand quilting.  For the machine quilting I used Aurifil thread and my walking foot.  There was so much stopping and turning, I wonder if I might have been better doing it more free motion. The hand quilting was done with perle cotton, and with the big needle I needed to use for the thickness of the thread, I could not use my normal quilting stitch techniques, I needed to treat it more like embroidery.  I am thrilled with the results though, just a little glad the back of the hand quilting does not show!

I'll leave you with a closeup of one of my bees.  Jenelle's embroidery tutorial has me thinking about putting stitching on everything I see!

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

On the Needles May 3, 2013

This week I finished sock #1 of the pooling challenge socks.  As you can see, they are not pooling at all.

I still like them a lot though, and have started sock #2.

Linking up with Patchwork Times for on the needles.

WIP Wednesday - The May Day edition

I had a few hours to sew yesterday, and I finished the piecing on my Honeycomb Stitch-along pillow:

Here's the front:

And here are the two pieces that make up the back:

Next I need to baste the layers of the top for the quilting and add an applique flower to that large solid strip on the back. I am so enjoying working on this pillow!

Linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced.

The Wardrobe Project #1

I posted earlier this month about the inspiration for my wardrobe project- that incredibly flamboyant and most definitely inappropriate orange mermaid skirt.  I used some directions that I found that night online to draft a 6 gore skirt pattern in my size.  Here is a photo of me wearing the skirt!

So let me back up a little bit to the whole psychology of dressing a plus size body.  First, it is a big big deal for me to take and post this photo.  Major self doubt issues abound in my brain.  Lots of anxiety I will find my photo stolen for a this woman is too fat to live webpage or a what was she thinking, wearing that outfit blog post.  On the other side of this argument, when I see others post about sewing for plus sizes, I found photos of large clothes on little mannequins or laid out on the bed or floor less than inspirational.  I put on the skirt for church and a play on Sunday, and stepped out in my back yard to figure out the timer on my camera.

Second, while searching for how to's for plus sized sewing, I found a lot of why's.  On her blog, Barbara Deckert declared plus sized sewing to be social activism.  I guess I see her point, but I did not really set out to make some big social statement.  I remember years ago, another large woman telling me that her mother told her something along the lines of "being well dressed is the best revenge."  I did not feel the need for revenge at the time and I guess I don't now either.  I think the point of both of these was that plus sized people have been offered limited options for clothing, and then belittled for the way they looked and dressed.  Sewing for ourselves open up our options.  I hope to put together one kickbutt wardrobe.  It is a big deal that I now think I deserve one, and should not settle for whatever might work ok from ready to wear.

Ok, let's talk about this skirt:
Pattern: 6 gore skirt, self drafted
Fabric: Weaver's Cloth from JoAnn's (fabric $14.97 on sale)
       I chose this tan to go with a certain shirt, but find it goes with so much more.

Lessons:  Maybe Weaver's cloth is not drapey enough for this pattern. I think it's ok, but that I will like a drapier fabric from this same design.  Also, the treatment I used to finish seams, which I have seen called faux felled seams, made my seams ripple a bit.

The biggest lesson, which I read about in Barbara Deckert's book Sewing for Plus Sizes, is that I should have included elastic in my waistband.  Because I needed to make it plenty roomy in the abdomen for the inevitable spread that happens when I sit, the waist is a little big when I stand.  In the next few days I plan to just sew some elastic into the back of this waistband and see if that helps.

It's Saturday, and it's Random

This week with my redhead has been a little hectic- this was his week to go to prom, and he also started seeing a chiropractor this week.  That left me a little busy and I did not post my on the needles Friday or WIP Wednesday posts, but I will show you now some of what I have been working on.

I worked on the piecing of the top of my pillow for the Honeycomb Stitchalong.  I finished the top this evening, now on to the back!  (Sorry no photo yet of the top, maybe next time!)

I finished my Chrysanthemum mittens I showed you last week:

I also finished sock #1 of my pair of Cookie A Monkeys and I am on the toe decreases for sock #1 of the pooling sock challenge (or the nonpooling sock challenge in my case.)  The pooling socks are my car knitting at the moment, because the pattern does not require concentration.

Then tonight, as part of my wardrobe project, I drafted the back of a shirt pattern.  I will draft the front body piece next, then make a sample up in muslin to see how the fit is before I tackle the sleeves.

I made a skirt last week, which I need to wear one day this week as a test run before I stray too far from home in it.  Don't want a wardrobe malfunction on a test garment on the other side of the state or something!  The day I wear it, I'll work out how to take photos of myself using the tripod and a timer on the camera.

Hooking up with Patchwork Times for ON the Needles Friday, better late than never!

On the Needles Friday Apr 19, 2013

I made some great progress this week on my Chrysanthemum Mittens.

Today a knitalong started for Mindy, a lovely cardigan sweater by Julia Farwell-Clay.  I started mine this morning:

It is nice to knit with some worsted yarn.

Linking up with Patchwork Times.