Next blouse (built by Wendy 3835)

I love this fabric. It's a very light cotton lawn, and it reminds me of Liberty of London fabric- but it isn't, so I have extra fabric money. The flower print reminds me of some old lady dress, but I rather like it. Tomorrow I'm going to a wedding and I'm wearing a rayon shirtdress from Eddie Bauer outlet. I love the old lady side of me. Hopefully if I embrace that now, when I'm in my 70s I'll be happily scrambling over rocks and playing outside in the rain.

Elephant blouse finished

Apparently I'm not quite gifted when it comes to eyeballing things. That's not really news to me, but when I finished sewing the buttons on and buttoned up the blouse...

So the buttons gap a little and the front at the collar is off. Next time I'll use the stupid button guide. *growl* But I like it, and I'm wearing it to work tomorrow! My next blouse will be a built by Wendy quick & easy. Can't wait.

Organized!

Preface: if you want to see someone who is organized, head to Cidell's sewing room. This post is for my sister who said she wants to be organized. I am sort-of organized. Too bad I'm organized in little piles all over my apartment. Anyway, Martha, here you go:


Helen, the cleaning lady, asked me today if she should clean the table and pile of fabric in my bedroom on the bookcase. Her relief was palpable when I said no. Thank goodness for Helen who keeps my floors shiny clean so I can use them to lay out and cut patterns... If anyone can teach me how to say "thank you" in Polish, let me know!

Elephants, oh elephants...I plan to wear you every day

PHEW! Tonight I finished all of the elephant blouse except the buttons and buttonholes. That can wait for later (I haven't done a buttonhole in...oh, fifteen years). I didn't realize the pattern was so complicated- interfacing on the collar, self-facing on the yoke and collar, and gathers all around (I did realize that part). Not sure I'd volunteer to do it again quickly, but I love it.


In other news, I went to Vogue Fabrics for the $1, $2, and $4.99 fabric sale. I got some wool (dress and coat weights), knit fabrics, and fabric for three jackets. Guess I have some sewing to do...in between the knitting. Because I went to the yarn swap today, bringing four random skeins of yarn that I bought late one night on ebay. And look what I took home!


(the funny part is that almost all of it is from Mandy, who was simply clearing out her stash- guess she'll be seeing it again at Second Monday Knitters!)

Friday night and the boyfriend is out of town

The bf emailed me tonight. He and his mom are all that's left of the family trip (others couldn't take as much vacation time) and they are in the city of Quito. They leave in a day or two for the Amazon. Bf said he was going to look for a cow for me in the market. He knows how much I really want a cow of my own, but I'm not sure you can check cows as luggage...hmm.

So, like many other women left to go wild on the town on a Friday night, I went directly to Hancock Fabrics after work. Vogue patterns are on sale and I wanted to look. Even with 75% off, those patterns are still $5-$8 and I didn't see anything I liked that well. I did pick up some more webbing (used for handles on the big flamingo bag) on sale, and some lining fabrics.

And while I washed the knit fabrics I want to work with tomorrow, I started on the elephant (elephant print light cotton) blouse. After cutting the front and back with the elephants parading in different directions, and the back again so they match, I'm calling it a night and heading for bed with my most recent book _The whole world over_ by Julia Glass.

Left over flamingos

Cynical Knitting Gal made the mistake of telling me two things in quick succession. She likes pink flamingos and she is wearing out the paper shopping bag she carries her knitting in. Aha! Because I have lots of job-work and a pink seersucker dress waiting to be cut out, I decided to make a copy of the bag.


Oops! Those handles are far too short- no room for a beautiful sweater-in-progress to fit in. Rework, rework, and tada!



I apologize for not turning the pictures. And Cynical Gal, lock your door- there are some flamingos coming for you!

superbuzzy...oh what have I done?

Brand new addiction, folks. My first order from superbuzzy came today:

Pink flamingos on a sturdy bag

Hopefully I'll remember to take this with me to get groceries- that was my original goal in making the bag. In retrospect I'd have sewed the top together and inserted the handles. This time, I put the handles on the print, sewed the tops of the lining and the print together, and then edged it with bias tape.


Two days to the weekend! And see what came in the mail for me- the harvest of my online shopping spree last week. This crepe from Vogue Fabrics, to be made into Simplicity 4045.

when all else fails, try PINK FLAMINGOS

I needed something easy, something I had all the pieces cut out, something that would NOT give me an excuse to go to Fabric Mart or fabric.com or Vogue Fabric. Well, I will need to swing by Vogue to pick up some webbing for handles, and black fabric for lining, but check this:


It's Simplicity 8331 with a few modifications- not going for the zipped top so I can stuff more in it, and that means I'll have to edge the top. Probably with black or maybe pink double fold bias tape.




Ah, there. I feel so much better now! I might even do some more work. Ugh. Or go to bed with one of my new books.

Incidentally, if you see _The Cinderella Pact_ for $6 in Borders, don't fall for it. Bridget Jones said it all, funnier, and without the "I'm sad because I'm in my 30s and weight 230# and don't have a man" vibe. Plus, the movie version of Bridget Jones had Colin Firth in it. And I sincerely hope _The Cinderella Pact_ doesn't make it to movie. I read about 20 pages and have declared it burn-worthy. Considering I almost always finish a book to be SURE I hate it, that is saying something.

All grown up and off to kindergarten

Five years ago he was a "big baby"- two months old in this picture- and now my nephew is off to kindergarten. I think I have to go craft something to recover from my shock at how he grew up so fast...

11 months

I almost forgot to show you- look what was waiting for me when I got to work this afternoon! The bf is in the Galapagos with his family on vacation, so he must have arranged for these to be delivered before he left. I've never had a boy send me flowers at work before!

We're not in Boston anymore

Did you know that in Boston, it's only illegal to go through a yellow if you start to slow down? Yep, accelerate right through that yellow. Chicago traffic laws and cameras have snared me. I don't really mind- although I'd planned to spend that $90 on some fabric or maybe a new pair of Keens- but it just seems like Chicago is WAY off track. Rather than putting a camera at the intersection (and I have witnessed some horrific crashes at Western & Peterson), couldn't they make car inspection mandatory? Never thought I'd come out in favor of Massachusetts, but the need to have working brake lights and turn signals is a nice thing to have enforced. In my part of Chicago, it's common to see a newer model car with temporary plates, and one or no working brake lights. Grr.

Elastic works a wonder cure

I'd been saving these pajama pants. Well, actually, I wasn't quite sure where they were. But I only needed to put elastic in them. So I did, and now they are done. Please ignore the messy apartment and use of bike as model.



Other than that, I've taken lots of ibuprofen, and spent quality time with my heating pad reading, thinking, and praying. Nothing like a few major life decisions and the forced inactivity of a sore back to make me sit and be quiet. Hope you have a good week!

Sewing again, I'm sewing again

Every time my boyfriend leaves town, I cozy in here and do projects. It reminds me why the guys at work used to joke "you have to get a boyfriend" in the year and some I was single- left to my own devices, I'll cook and craft and feed people. So, the boyfriend is in the Galapagos (I was invited, but didn't go) with his mom, aunt & uncle, and cousins. This is what I did tonight:

Conquered the zipper (after many, many attempts)

Made the lining (insert trip to Hancock Fabric to buy the lining, zipper, and random toys) and pressed it- ready to attach to the skirt!

And washed a bunch of fabric (with the blue lining) to get ready for what I suspect may be a two and a half week marathon of sewing. Although I'm keeping pretty busy- hanging with my girlfriends this weekend (four different plans!) and going downstate to a church retreat with my sister's in-laws next weekend. I love my sister's in-laws SO MUCH. They are like a bonus family that I lucked into...not to mention my sister's sister-in-law is hysterical, her brother-in-law is funny, steady, and sweet, and her in-laws are to die for. Really. I wish they'd had a third son. ;) Well, sort of. My boyfriend is a pretty swell guy. We'll see....

Ahhhh...that feels good

I haven't even broken out the sewing machine yet, but I feel better. I didn't find the linen, but I started a skirt in a really pretty cotton lawn. Perfect for the last few hot weeks of summer.

The only catch is that this is a pattern my sister gave me- size 14. And I'm a pattern size 16. I didn't realize this until I was cutting out the fabric, so I'm going to have to skimp on the seam allowances and hope for the best! But I do get to try something I haven't done since I had Mom at hand to help me. Thus begins the dart adventure...

Because it's lawn, I think I'll line it so I don't have to worry about slips. Whee! At this rate I'll be trying all sorts of crazy things. More practical, Sarah, more practical. Finish it so you can wear it this weekend!

I can't find my fabric

I decided tonight to ignore the gianormous pile of work I should be doing and make a skirt. I have some very pretty linen blend and I want to sew it. I can't find it.

Not in with the patterns, not in with the loose fabric.


Not in the sewing room


Not even where it should be in theory


I'm going to go work on something else now. But maybe I have a bit more realistic grasp on how much fabric I have. Less than 1/4 is pictured here. Arg. Must. Go. Sew!

What I was doing while I was gone...

Time for true confessions. My friend Erica, who was my preceptor at Mass General, and remains one of my all-time favorite nurses, came to visit me last weekend. The plaster, spackle, and paint? All to make it so she would see a difference from her visit here last summer! We talked- oh how we talked- and we toured Frank Lloyd Wright stuff and we shopped downtown and we visited Evanston and we ate very very good meals. And then, poof! it was Monday and I was driving her to the airport.

This is a picture of us last winter. I never really do the tourist stuff unless I have visitors, so I'm glad she came. Now if only my sister would come visit...oops, didn't mean to put a guilt trip on you, MEA...yeah I did. :)


And in-between and even during her visit, I've been spending some time with the books. I take the GRE Friday. No sweat, I did great when I took it 7 years ago...but there are two essays and I don't do math on a regular basis anymore, and I'm nervous. Practice test scores have left room for improvement. And just if I get bored with studying for the GRE, I am taking the AAHIVM certification test (re-certification, for me, so more humiliating if I don't pass) this fall.


Good times. But before you start feeling bad for me...my new fat quarter pack from Moda's Cityscapes came and I am in love. LOVE.