Stacyverb

The gift I keep on giving

I have a sad sewing story to tell you today, but don't worry, it has a happy ending!

In late 2009, I was doing some online fabric shopping when I spotted this cassette tape print on Equilter.com.  Isn't it awesome?  I knew immediately that I needed to make a shirt for my husband out of it.

So I ordered the fabric, and made the shirt, and presented it to said hubby for his birthday (or was it Valentine's Day?  I forget, but either way it was February) last year.  He loved it (how could he not?). 

Unfortunately, I think he only wore the shirt once before it met a tragic fate.  There was a Laundry Incident, which was 100% my fault, in which I washed the shirt with a bunch of other bright clothes and something bled hot pink all over the shirt.   It was a dark day, ladies and gentlemen.

Furious at myself and determined to make it up to my man, I secretly ordered more of the fabric and plotted to re-make the shirt as a Christmas gift.  But my schedule was crazy in the weeks of the holiday season, and I didn't have time to finish it.  I wrapped the shirt and presented it as it was--almost done except for the hem, the buttons and buttonholes.  Then it sat here.  And sat here.  Since December, it's been sitting on my sewing table in its Christmas box, making me feel guilty.

Until yesterday!  Yup, I spent my day off finishing this thing, and I gave it to my patient husband yet again.  Here ya go, babe... enjoy.  I hope it was worth the wait!

Pattern: McCall's 4399 (OOP)

Fabric: "Cassette Tapes" cotton by Timeless Treasures

One more important note: you may notice that Anthony (aka Adverb) is shockingly clean-shaven.  He's without a goatee for the first time since I've known him!  He made the change for artistic reasons--he needed to be clean-shaven for his role as an extra in a Blair Crimmins video.  It's kinda like having a new husband. ;)

Found: Catlanta kitty!

Readers, I'm very excited today because I am now the proud owner of a Catlanta kitty! 

Some background for those outside the ATL: Catlanta is a local artist who makes these little painted cats.  Some are cardboard, like mine, and some are magnetic.  Catlanta is a mysterious figure.  No one knows who he really is.  He communicates with his fans via Facebook and Twitter, and announces when he's about to do a "kitten drop."  He hides the kittens in locations around the city and takes pictures of them in their hiding places, then posts the photos to give his fans some visual clues.  The real fun begins as the fans search for the kittens!  Read more about Catlanta in this CNN interview.

I've been stalking Catlanta for a few months now, and have been foiled every time until today.  Sometimes I recognize a location, but I can't make it there in time.  Another time I thought I recognized where the kitten was, but I was wrong.  So frustrating (yet fun!).

Today, my persistent sleuthing finally paid off.  My husband had just dropped me off at work, and I turned on my computer and immediately saw Facebook news of a kitten drop.  I recognized one of the hiding places as a coffee shop a few doors down from my work!  So I called Anthony on his cell, and he was still right outside, so he dashed down the street and swooped up the kitten.  Oh yeah...teamwork, baby!  *high five*

[Edited later to add: I received a comment from Catlanta himself letting me know that my kitten is magnetic, too!]

Yellow top to be named later

Wow, I'm on a roll!  I so enjoyed the rush of completion endorphins I got from finishing the Sadie tank top, that I've jumped right into a new knitting project.  (Let's not discuss some unfinished projects that I could/should be tackling instead.  La-la-la-la, I DON'T HEAR YOU....)

This is the Ruched Yoke Tee from the Spring 2011 issue of Interweave Knits.  I've had my eye on it since the issue came out.  This shape--with the fitted waist and short sleeves flowing out of the yoke--is generally a flattering one for me, as it gives me the illusion of having shoulders.  And as I was telling a friend yesterday, I plan to wear this with some very full skirts, so the width of the shoulders will help balance out the bottom half of my outfit so I don't end up looking like one of those little ladies sticking out of a toilet paper cover. 

(You know what I'm talking about?  It's like a Barbie doll head with a crocheted hoop skirt that's really a toilet paper cozy because apparently some people don't want other people to know they have toilet paper in their bathrooms?  Yes, this is the look I want to avoid when wearing a full skirt.)

Anyway.  I'm knitting this with Cascade's Ultra Pima, possibly my favorite cotton yarn ever, in this lovely yellow color.  The pattern name, Ruched Yoke Tee, is descriptive but not very fun.  I'm sure I'll come up with a nickname for this garment as we get to know each other better.

Sexy Sadie: finished!

Hey, look--I actually finished a garment.  It took longer than it should have, because I had some gauge issues, and my first attempt was turning out waaaaaay too big.  But now, ta-da, here it is! 

The pattern is Sadie by c2knits (every time I say the name, I get this stuck in my head). 

Yarn: Kertzer Super 10 Butterfly Cotton; color 3475 Geranium

Needles: US 4 (ribbing); US 5 (waist shaping); US 6 (body)

I ended up making the smallest size and, although the pattern said it would take 600 yards, I actually used about 450--not even two whole skeins of the Butterfly Cotton!

Although this top is for me, it's currently being displayed as a shop model at Sheepish, where it's being modelled by loyal shop mannequin Epiphany.  I'll debut it on my own self sometime during Me-Made-June.  It should make a versatile addition to my summer wardrobe, worn with or without the Scary Spice wig. :)

Joining Me-Made-June

If you're a long-time reader of this blog, you might remember that last spring I participated in Me-Made-May.  This event was the brainchild of the fabulous Zoe from "So, Zo..." and it was a lot of fun.  The idea was for bloggers who make their own fashions to wear their own creations every day for a month and document it on their blogs.  I enjoyed the challenge of getting my me-made clothes into more frequent rotation in my wardrobe, and I met lots of cool, creative people on the internet during the process.

Now Zoe is organizing another such event, Me-Made-June.  I've been debating about whether or not to sign up.  With two jobs and various other stresses, my schedule has been overwhelming, so I haven't had time to make anything new since last fall.  Plus, documenting the outfits every day can be time-consuming, which could get tricky since free time is so hard for me to come by right now.

But I've decided to take the plunge.  Two things I've been dearly missing lately are blogging and sewing, so I'm hoping Me-Made-June will motivate me to find ways to make both of these things higher priorities in my life again.  I might not have time to make anything new (although surely I can carve out enough time to make at least one new thing...), but at least my existing me-made items can get more action.  Plus, jewelry counts!  So that takes a bit of pressure off of the sewing.

Let's make it official with the Me-Made-June pledge: 'I, Stacy, of Stacyverb, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-June '11. I endeavour to wear at least one me-made garment or piece of jewelry each day for the duration of June 2011.'

It's not the end of the world

Well, look at that.  It's past 6:00 pm in New Zealand already, and they haven't been swallowed up by an earthquake or flood over there yet.  Although it's only early morning here, I'm optimistically thinking it's safe to make plans for tomorrow. 

That's the thing: optimistically making plans.  In the normal course of things (i.e., times when people aren't waiting to see if the world's going to end this weekend), there are a lot of clichés about people who live each day as if it were their last, never putting anything off for the future, and what a life-affirming attitude that is for them.  And that's great.  I'm a big fan of spontaneous, let's-see-what-happens kinds of fun.  But when I think of adopting that live-like-you're-dying philosophy into my own life, the feelings it conjures up aren't joy or excitement.  More like panic.  Desperation.  Sadness at the thought that no way will I ever do everything I want to do.

You what seems much more life-affirming to me?  Procrastination.  Daydreaming about the future. Taking my time.

I'm not saying that's actually how I live most of the time.  Far from it.  My point is that life has thrown us some major curveballs here at Stacyverb HQ in the past year or two, and in such times, when the panic and the desperation set in, it feels like the most devil-may-care, optimistic thing we can do is make plans for the future. 

These days, it takes a huge leap of faith for me to, say, RSVP to an event that's a month away.  It feels crazily optimistic to think that something won't happen to ruin those plans.  There have been times in the past couple of years that something as small as shopping has felt like a life-affirming act.  Buying a new outfit assumes I'll have somewhere to wear it.  Stocking up on cat food or buying the jumbo-size bottle of anything means, I believe I will need this.  It means, I believe I will be around to need this.

So today, as the world doesn't come to an end, I hope you'll all celebrate by spontaneously doing something you've been meaning to do for a long time, whatever that may be.  But I also hope you'll celebrate by buying mass quantities of your favorite shampoo, and reserving your seats for some fun thing that happens in, say, August.  And I sincerely hope you'll be around to enjoy all of it. ♥

Best possible news (under the circumstances)

Big thanks to all of you who have sent your good wishes for Little Kitty.  The news from the vet this week was mixed.  On the downside, Little's lump was cancer.  We were expecting that.  But on the upside, it was small, it had not spread, and the surgery got it all out.  So that's all great!  What we do now is just monitor her carefully for any more lumps that may appear.  But for now, she doesn't need any more surgery, or any chemo, or anything like that.  Hurray!

Starlight Sunday night

Here in the ATL we are lucky enough to have a great old drive-in still within the city.  A night at the Starlight Six is a fun time and a great bargain--$7.00 per person for a double feature?  Yes, please!  Plus, they encourage you to bring your own food and beverages for picnicking or tailgating before the show.

Our first stop was Delia's Chicken Sausage Stand.  Oh, Delia's!  That place warrants a post of its own.  But for now let's just say that it's the perfect place to stop for your drive-in picnic food.

Mural on one of the projection booths.

Part of the mural beneath Screen 6.

Feet on dashboard, waiting for movie to start.  What's that?  You're insanely jealous because my socks have flames on them and yours don't?  Totally understandable.

It was an unusually chilly night for May in Atlanta, but we came prepared with a quilt to snuggle our goofy selves under.

Thanks for a fun night as always, Starlight Six!  We hope to spend many summer evenings with you in the months to come.

Rehab = sunbeam + brushing

Little Kitty is recuperating from the lumpectomy she underwent on Friday.  The vet was pleased with how the surgery went.  We'll know more about Little's diagnosis and prognosis when the labwork comes back in a week or two.  In the meantime, she's enjoying some extra TLC, like being brushed in a sunbeam as seen here.  You can also see her shaved area and incision with twelve stitches.  She was sore at first, but seems to be much more comfortable today and is in good spirits.

Saturday snapshot

Soundtrack: Lucinda Williams, Blessed