Stacyverb

In progress: porch curtains

During nice weather, our porch is one of the most-used "rooms" of the house. Even during the work week when we're not home much, we at least try to eat dinner out there whenever possible.

There used to be a tree on the west side of the house that would make nice shade on the porch in the early evening hours, but that tree got struck by lightning and had to be taken down. So now at dinner time when we want to eat at the porch table, there's all this blinding hot sun beating down right there. This has been our temporary solution:

Yep, a grungy old blanket. It gets the job done, but it sure isn't pretty. Let's get a close-up of that mounting hardware:

Right. That would be a hemostat hanging from a nail. Of course. How else would you hang up a curtain that's actually a ratty old blanket? Hey, I never claimed we were classy, just resourceful.

Anyway, I have a plan for a much cuter solution to our sun/shade problem, and the first step was a trip to IKEA this morning.

A few quick seams on this fabric (sometime this week...) and BOOM, instant curtain. This red checkered fabric is sure to add to the cozy cafe vibe we have going on in that corner of the porch. And yes, it will be hanging from an actual, real curtain rod! With finials, even. Crazy.

In progress: Sencha blouse

"In progress" might be overstating things--really all I've done so far is cut out the paper pattern pieces. But hey, ya gotta start somewhere.

 

This blouse is my first official project of spring, but its origins date back to Christmas. The pattern was a present, and I bought the fabric in PA during my Christmas vacation with a Surplus City gift card from, uh...Santa. I got some buttons then, too, but I decided they weren't right for this blouse, so I bought these ones recently instead.

I'll be making Version 2, with the buttons up the back and no keyhole at the neck. Sencha has the kind of shape I love--tapered in at the waist and wider across the shoulders. The fabric is just a lightweight cotton print, nice and summery but should be great for fall as well with a cardigan (Featherweight, I'm looking at you) thrown over it.

Pondering some red pants to go with this. Hmmmm.

At least I'm right handed

Just a quick and dirty post while I eat lunch. So much has been happening!

First, a little more about Mimi kitty's diabetes situation. It's pretty commom for older cats to get this, and she's almost 16, so there you go. She's on special (and apparently delicious) food now, and we give her insulin shots. I was nervous about giving shots, but it turns out to be quite easy. The injection just goes in under the skin, so we don't have to worry about trying to find a vein or hitting any particular spot. Other than that, she just goes about her normal lifestyle. Right now we're still working on figuring out exactly the right dosage for her. (Note to self: call vet to schedule glucose test this week!)

Also in the ailment category, I did something (strain? sprain?) to my wrist. Basically, I was trying to slide a table across the floor, and it didn't want to slide. So I pulled harder, and eventually the table did give way...but so did my left wrist. Ouch. So I've been wearing a drug store splint on it, just to keep it supported and to remind myself not to use that hand whenever possible.

Having to do things one-handed has slowed down my sewing progress, but today I'm working feverishly to try to finish the Library Dress in time to wear it on a hot date tomorrow (Anthony's birthday). It should be done in time, if everything goes right, but, well...how often does everything go right, am I right? Cross your fingers!

Work contnues to be busy as we settle into the new space. You can check out the progress here (yes, I write that blog, too). This weekend: Grand Re-Opening Celebration!

So, yeah, lots going on this week, which means I should have plenty of blog fodder coming up. For now, back to the sewing machine!

The Library Dress

You know how some project ideas evolve verrrry gradually, stewing and brewing in your brain until finally IT'S TIME? Well, here's a long-coveted item whose time has finally come.

Several years ago, a friend and I saw a picture in a knitting magazine that stopped us in our tracks. It wasn't because of the knitted cardigan the model was wearing--no, what really grabbed our attention was the dress she had on under that sweater.  It had gorgeous books all over it! We went crazy over that dress, so much so that my friend called the magazine publisher to find out where they got it.

Turned out, the dress was a 2007 J. Crew design that had quite a cult following. A quick eBay search found it easily fetching $300 or more.  Yikes! There went my dream of owning this literary confection. But actually, once I got a full view of the dress sans cardigan, I had second thoughts anyway.

I'm soooo not a fan of that waist-less shape. Maybe someone could rock it, but it would be super unflattering on me. So the library dress slipped to the back of my mind for a long time.  But then I found this.

 

Library fabric! In all the beautiful rich colors I love! I resisted it for a while, but I kept thinking about it, and once again I got obsessed with the idea of a library dress, so I caved. And now, this weekend? This project is ON, baby.

No doubt many of you recognize this as the Truffle dress from The Colette Sewing Handbook. Ignore the ruffle, because that's not happening. I hadn't given Truffle a second glance, really, until I saw this sleek and ruffle-free version. And when I spotted the way Rochelle styled her Truffle with tights and a belt, I knew I could make this dress work for me.

Library dress, you will finally be mine!

Finished: Poppy Pendrell

Here's the last of the projects I finished in October.  After seeing a million Pendrell blouses around the sewing blogosphere for the past two years, I finally got around to making one of my own.  I bought the pattern back when it first came out, but it's been sitting uncut in my stash this whole.

The listed length on this blouse seemed crazy, so the first thing I did was shorten all the body pieces by four inches each.

I took the four inches out by measuring a two-inch section below the waist notches, folding that section back on itself, and securing it with pins. (Did that make sense?  If anyone wants more details, let me know.)  Shortening the waist seemed like a better idea than chopping length off the bottom, because doing the latter would have meant also losing inches from the hem circumference, and that's not what I was trying to do.

Pendrell offers a sleeveless option, but for me, the sleeves are the real stars of this pattern.  I made View A, the pleated-but-not-ruffled version.

I grumbled a lot while marking and pinning all those pleats, but the results were worth the effort.

 

The sleeves give the blouse a great overall shape.  They're sort of drapey, but sort of sculptural at the same time.  Pleats are such a fun way to manipulate fabric.

 

Even with the four inches removed, this blouse is still plenty long enough for me to tuck into a skirt or pants if I want to. (My face looks rather...concerned in this photo.  But this was the shot that showed the outfit the best.  I assure you I feel quite happy about this ensemble!)

[Fabric: Abstract poppy print by Karen Tusinki.]

I need more hands

Let's be real--the last thing I need to do is start a new project.  We all know I have plenty of UFOs lying around already.  (Plus, I now realize I forgot to include another sweater-in-progess in that UFO post.)  Not to mention the projects that aren't so much unfinished as they are flailing. And my gift knitting that I can't show you.  And of course, the glider.  And the novel I'm sort of working on.  And the mandolin that I'm not practicing enough.  And the fact that I'm trying to fit all this in around work, social life, and so on, at what is pretty much the busiest time of year for me.

Call me fickle, or unfocused, or whatever, but the change of seasons makes my attention wander.  I mean, come on: there are so many pretty colors and textures, and I need new clothes.  Since I got rid of so much stuff I wasn't using, there's all this room in my closet now, waiting to be filled up with more wearable garments.  Money isn't as tight as it has been (knock on wood), so I can go out more now, which makes me feel more interested in clothes again. 

So, maybe it wasn't a great idea, but I cut out the pieces for a Pendrell blouse the other day. 

I'm making View A, and this is my fabric:

I bought this print a while back when I was going through an abstract floral phase, and tucked it away in my stash for fall.  The palette should make this a really versatile addition to my wardrobe. 

Although Pendrell seems like a pretty straightforward pattern, I have some concerns about this project.  From what I've read on some other sewing blogs, the pattern runs kind of big, and I'm a bit gun-shy about fitting issues right now.  Also, the length seems insane (26" for the size 4??), so I know I need to shorten it, but by how much?  And should I take the length off the hem, or from somewhere in the middle?

To many of you, I'm sure the obvious solution is for me to make a test garment first, and work out the kinks that way.  But geez, people, I don't have the patience for that!  At the rate I'm going, by the time I'd made a test garment, I'd have lost interest in the project altogether.  As it is, I'm not sure when I think I'm going to have time to sew this together once, let alone twice.

Gah, I'm getting agitated and overstimulated just thinking about it.  Fall does this to me.  Fall also made me buy some dark chocolatey brown nail polish over the weekend, which is hilarious, because with all these things I'm supposed to be doing with my hands, how do I think I'll manage to sit still long enough to paint my nails?

Lawn chair dress revisited

Lest you think I'm getting a big head from this recent sewing triumph and the huge increase in blog traffic that has resulted from it (thanks especially to Sally, for sending lots of new visitors my way!), don't worry.  There are several less-than-stellar projects tucked away in various corners of my house to keep me humble.

 

This dress--oh boy.  I'm so crazy about this fabric, and it's perfect for the swishy summery shape of New Look 6886.   But...the construction of this dress led to a teeny nervous breakdown one day last summer.  Later, I did rally and finish it.  I was thrilled!  So proud to have overcome adversity to complete the project!  Excited to wear the dress!  There was just one problem: it. does. not. fit.

 

Um, not even close.  Having no clue how to fix it, I threw a small tantrum (fellow sewists, I see you nodding your heads--we've all been there, haven't we?) and stuffed this dress into the closet.  Only in the past few days have I been able to look at it again.  I'm hoping that some of my many readers who sew might have some ideas. 

So, what went wrong?  A combination of things, I think.  First, I think I cut the sleeves in too big of a size for my narrow back and shoulders (and really, this wide neckline style probably isn't the best choice for anyone who has these fitting issues anyway).  Then, I messed up the elastic.  Because yes, there is elastic in there, which is supposed to help hold the sleeves in place.  But I suck at sewing elastic (this isn't the first time I've had to learn that lesson), and now it's sewn into the sleeve in the permanently stretched-out position, with no way to undo it.  So the sleeves are ridiculously floppy, as you can see.

What should I do, readers?  I'm determined to salvage this dress, but I'm at a loss.  I tried sort of gathering the sleeve, but that didn't work.  Or maybe I just don't have the skills to make it work.  I don't know.  Honestly, I'm considering just taking it to a tailor and paying a professional to fix it somehow (which pains my pride, but I might just have to admit that I'm in over my head here).  I'm good at sewing, but clueless about alterations (obviously).

HELP!

Finished: Sleeveless Simplicity 2501

Thank you to everyone who weighed in on my sleeve dilemma.  Based on the feedback I got here and from friends on Facebook, I felt overwhelming support to make this top sleeveless.  Which was great, because that saved me the trouble of making and attaching sleeves.  So double thanks for giving me an excuse to be lazy!

This fabric is so fabulous.  It's been aging in my stash since I bought it on my trip to SFO in 2009.  The print is kind of edgy mod.  It makes me think of this:

Andy Warhol's portrait of Debbie Harry

Which in turn reminds me of this:

Debbie Harry circa 1970.  Photo from Getty Images.

Debbie really rocks that black and white look.  Style-wise, the MTV article where I found these photos said of her, "she can look badass while looking sweet and NEVER appearing costumey."  That's no mean feat.  I'm a petite woman who uses a wheelchair--I get saddled with the "sweet" expectation by strangers all the time.  Meanwhile, I and those who know me well, know the truth: I am actually badass.  But dressing badass can come across as costumey, because unsuspecting people perceive me as too sweet for that.  (Oh please.)  Debbie, I could learn so much from you!

 

It would be awesome to have the gorgeous gams to wear shorts like Debbie's.  But I don't.  What I do have is nice arms (on display sans sleeves).  And a small waist (highlighted by the peplum).  And a sewing machine.

Stalled on sleeves

It's been a while since there's been any sewing content on this blog!  Let's remedy that.

 

Here's my current work in progress.  It's Simplicity 2501, which I've made before.  Right now I'm kind of stuck, though, because I can't decide what I want to do about the sleeves.

 

This is the version I made the first time, except I left off the bows because they just aren't me.  I like these sleeves, but I wonder if they're a little much for summer.

The sleeveless version is actually what I had in mind for this fabric originally, showing a little more skin for summer.  (Again, the ruffle isn't me, so ignore that part.)  But with my narrow shoulders and the peplum at the hips, I wonder if the blouse would look unbalanced without sleeves.

The third option would be to improvise some sort of cap sleeve that would be a happy medium.  I just can't decide!  Thoughts?

Quality vs. quantity

Last weekend, I boxed up a bunch of clothes to drop off at the thrift store.  Among them were quite a few me-made garments.  In the past, I've been reluctant to get rid of handmade items.  But my standards seem to have gotten higher, and now I just want these things gone.

 

Here’s a me-made blouse I've been wearing since 2005 or so, despite several problems that I kept rationalizing.  Such as: I sewed the cuffs on backward (oops).  There’s a little stain in front (I can just wear a sweater over it).  It doesn’t actually fit right (oh that).  This was one of the first "tailored" garments I made for myself, and I was quite proud at the time (backward cuffs notwithstanding).  But let's be honest: it's poorly tailored.  The whole body is too wide, and the shoulder seams hang way below my actual shoulders.  In the years since I made this blouse, I’ve figured out how to deal with my very narrow shoulders when I'm sewing.  So now I’ve finally reached a point where I look at this garment and go, NO.  It has too many problems.  I no longer feel cute in it, just sloppy.

 

Speaking of sloppiness, here are three skirts I've been wearing with safety pins taking in the waistbands, because they're all way too big (the downside of regular exercise).  Yet I continued to wear them.  The orange one in the middle is me-made, and I’ll need to replace that soon, because my summer wardrobe depends heavily on having an orange skirt in the mix.

The other two came from thrift stores anyway, so why cling to them?  I almost got rid of the black one during a previous closet purge, but I thought, "No, you need a black skirt!"  As if another black skirt (that actually fit) would be so hard to come by! 

The white flowered one I shouldn't have bought in the first place.  It was too big when I bought it, but I was blinded by its beauty.  And it was $3.29.  I figured that judicious use of safety pins would make it work.  Ditto a pair of me-made black pants (not even worth photographing).  I've kept “making do” with all these too-big garments that wanted to slide right off my body because I figured, hey, I'm sitting down anyway, so there's nowhere for them to go.  Ugh!  I’m now realizing just how many of my garments are wearable only because my wheelchair holds them onto my body.

Anyway.  I'm tired of making do, and no longer interested in keeping clothes that are almost fine.  And honestly, although my sewing skills have vastly improved over the years, I'm clueless about alterations.  So these things are going bye-bye, to make room in my closet for new things that fit and are flattering.

Do you hang on to clothes unnecessarily?  If you make your own garments, do you find it harder to get rid of those, even when you know they're not working?