Jelly roll experiment

I love the idea of pre-cut quilting fabric, but I haven't gotten around to taking advantage of how easy it is to use. So I decided to break out a Moda jelly roll.


The colors are so pretty, I almost stopped and just let it be a decoration like this.


So far I have sewed the strips together in 75" strips, and realized that I can make 75" x 40" quilt top or put something else in there. It's kind of boring, but I'm thinking of using a cream colored either solid or tiny print cotton in maybe 4" strips between the printed strips to make a quick quilt top. It would be better, I think, to just finish this and then I'll be able to see the top and what it looks like. Maybe this could be a quilt for my sweetie? The blue blanket ended up being king sized, and rather swamps his bed. I appreciate him offering that it could be on the guest bed in our future house. That makes me feel like I was very proactive! Back to the quilt top- it looks pretty just sitting on my table, too.

Procrastination in action

I have to do my homework. And my job work (disadvantages of being able to work from home). Now this is the best part of being in school- in an effort to avoid doing my homework, I am super productive at home. I cleaned my sewing area and organized.


My sweetie comes home tomorrow, and I promised to make him a fleece blanket for his bed. So I stitched that up (it's more a volume accomplished project, not much technique used).


His birthday pajama pants have been cut down and resewn, this time with a drawstring instead of elastic at his request. Now I'm trying to discipline myself to do homework. But really, wouldn't it be fun if I made another pair of pajama pants for myself?

Picture love on Thursday

I won an award! Thanks, Cynical Gal!

I forgot to leave the faucet on in the kitchen before I left for work this morning...oops. No cold water flowing (keeping my fingers crossed that nothing busts). To warm up the kitchen, I made another coffeecake (no cold water still so I'm guessing the freeze spot isn't in my kitchen- it got very very warm quickly). Then I put my new ironing board cover on.


It all feels quite professional. As it happened, my bias tape makers came today. I wanted to make my own quilt binding. Check this out- one and two inch bias tape makers! (oops, a ball of yarn snuck in the picture...isn't it pretty?)


Not to be left out, my cabled scarf. It's been a little nutty this week at work and I have enjoyed the satisfaction that can be had from making just one cable- eight rows of knitting sanity.

A bit of a bad moment

I wore the black skirt with the ruffled bottom to work yesterday. My friend (and coworker, and office sharee) Roger is great with clothes and has a great eye for detail. When I asked him what he thought, he carefully said, "It's a little...loose. Maybe with a bigger dart here, or just taking the sides in?" Right. It is a little bit loose. Or, more honestly, shapeless and baggy. Does that make me want to redo it? Not really. Maybe I will eventually. Or I could just hold on to it in case I gain more weight. The traitorous skirt is coming along...



And I have had the best sort of mail recently! Today at work, the Vogue Stitchionary (on sale at bn.com) came, and at home yesterday I got these super cute mini-skeins of Peace Fleece. I'll keep you posted, but tonight I'm just going to read and imagine what will be.

the traitorous skirt (and a nice cable)

I pinned. Every 1.75 inches, a nice straight pin carefully aligning two pieces of fabric.


Earlier I noticed this plaid wool was very stretchy and kind of slithery. I considered adjusting the tension but wanted to plow ahead with the skirt, so I didn't...and I paid for it. Now I'm so tired I can't see the seam line even with my glasses (in my defense, it's a 2mm stitch length). Discretion is the better part of valor, and I'm off to bed.


The nicest part of today is that I learned a simple cable stitch. It's very rewarding. Even if I can't line up my skirt pieces, I can cable!

I did it! Darts and all

Tonight, I plunged in. The skirt with the flounce (Butterick 3597) is done. I skipped lining it so I could finish it tonight and wear it tomorrow. I don't think I'll make the flounce view again soon in wool- I had to turn the hem by hand and couldn't use my rolled hem foot. But I do foresee some very cute spring/summer cotton skirts coming from this pattern!


I was super careful with the darts and in the end they look okay. It was fun tracing them with my perforating wheel.


Then I laid out another skirt, Simplicity 4041. This one is a little more contemporary cut (four pleats in the front to add fullness and has bias-cut pockets (and waistband, my addition).


This plaid was on sale at Hancock Fabric today as an "unadvertised manager special". I was very strict with myself that I would only buy the fabric if I started making it up tonight. I'm not sure if I'll line it or not- the extra fabric in the front wouldn't hang right for lining, I think. Has anyone else made this (or similar)?


PS:
Clear

0°F
Feels Like
-18°F

Friday night

Fair

12°F
Feels Like
0°F

from weather.com

Ah, Chicago winter. It's lovely and I don't really mind the cold except...my building is really old. Tonight's projects were to do some crafting and warm up the kitchen. The water lines run up an outside wall. I'm going to bed leaving the tap dripping (something I feel REALLY guilty about but better guilt than no water in the morning), undersink cabinets open, and planning on getting up early to bake some more cookies.


In other news, the Fantine sweater is frogged three times and knit down to the armholes.


And I have a black wool skirt with a flounce on the cutting board (okay, on the floor). Welcome to my three day weekend!

One of those days

I covered an evening clinic tonight- usually not a big deal, but I was exhausted when I started the day. Tonight, leaving at 8p, I realized there was only one thing to do this evening. I pulled into the Dominick's parking lot, parked, and hurried through the cold into the store. Quickly, I picked eggs, butter, sour cream, and flour, and went though the checkout. The car was still warm(er) when I got back in and headed homewards. And now, just over an hour later:


It must be the coffeecake...I feel in the mood to participate. Sugarcreekstuff tagged me for seven weird/random things. 1 I love to wear cardigan sweaters. 2 My ironing board is a really cheap rickety model. 3 The coffeecake recipe above is one my Grammy used to make. 4 My favorite vacation I've ever been on was the trip to Alaska last spring. 5 My pile of projects to make is as big as the pile of books to read (that's big!). 6 I have to buy cabinets for my kitchen and I'm dreading making that decision because they all look fine to me. 7 My interests go in spurts, and I'm just getting over one about beekeeping. There you have it.

Oh, Fantine!

I made the collar for my first-ever sweater tonight. Using bulky wool and big needles is very satisfying, especially after casting off the first of the baby booties last night. Now I'm off to bed before I fall into the "I'm so tired, one more row" syndrome.

Rescued! or, A blanket for the future baby

No, no, I'm not preggers. But someday, if I do have a baby, I'll be ready.

I found this gorgeous hand-crocheted baby blanket for $1.50 at the thrift store. It was so sad to me, seeing it on the rack, that I bought it and gave it a new home. I washed it once (yay for acrylic, and no, I will not leave future baby alone with the blanket in case it spontaneous bursts into flame) and it's gorgeous. In fact, considering the punk day I've had, I might sleep with it myself...

A little yarn love

Debbie Bliss Baby Knits, booties pattern. Done in garter instead of seed stitch, with baby cashmerino on size 5 (US) needles. I saved my favorite fish zip bags, and it turns out this is just about perfect for a small knitting project.


Baby knits are so much more fun than adult knits. If it's not the right size, so what?! Babies grow. I'm trying to work up my confidence on this before casting on for my first Fantine sweater. I am rather proud of my controlled cast-off, something I've had trouble with before.

I almost thought an alien zapped my brain

The most unusual thing happened today. I started another skirt, this time using a precious black wool from my stash. I bought this wool back in grad school- 2002 or 2003- when $12/yard fabric was such extravagant luxury in my budget, I was too afraid to cut it. So this evening, I pinned carefully, cut carefully, and sewed. I sprang for the $6/yard lining so it will hang nicely, and I steam pressed the wool twice before I cut anything. The alien fears popped up when I _ripped out a seam_ and restitched it. This is careful sewing that I have never done before. It is looking really nice, and I'm excited.
Once I realized I had a 9 inch black zipper but not a 7 inch zipper, I decided to stop the progress on the skirt and wait until I had the proper sized zipper (again, most unusual for me- ordinarily I'd brute force the 9" in and then wonder why there were some lumps in the side seam).


It'll hang to get any bias out (same pattern as the navy cord skirt) and I'll keep posting as I get more work done on it. My sweetie left for Morocco for vacation today and I'm really hoping I can get a shocking amount of sewing done while he's gone. I figured out how to use my blind hem foot- for some reason that's been beyond me for a while- and that's been exciting. I even went so far as to order myself a walking foot online today. Watch out, world!


And I finished the hem (finally) on the corduroy skirt. I just ended up using hem tape (the sew on kind) and a basting machine stitch. Even though I've been wearing my glasses (in deference to the wool skirt) I am tired and doing a hem by hand is something that eludes me on a good day.

Proof I have NOT been zapped by aliens (normal Sarah behavior): locked my keys in my car at the gas station and had to call AAA. The guy on-call told me he decided to come unlock my car first instead of the Hummer that was in line on the call list ahead of me. Awww.... :)

Sewing project! And my favorite new toy.

I made my sweetie a passport pouch tonight. He is going to Morocco on Saturday (I'm starting school Monday so staying home) for a couple of weeks, and wanted something to store his passport and money on the inside of his pants. Initially we talked about sewing an interior pocket onto his pants, but he opted for a trial run of a pouch on a lanyard. It's not perfect but it's good enough for now.


This is my new toy- a SideWinder bobbin winder! I've had it for over a week, but forgot to post. My idea of being a real grown-up sewer has been to have my bobbins organized in a case- and now I'm there. I've had the case for a while, but it's just fun now to make up bobbins.


To hang the pouch, I sewed tape on the inside of his trouser waistband. Next time I'll do something to bind off the edges, since it frayed almost immediately (but I used a LOT of thread and made about 2mm wide of straight stitch width in tacking it on). Or as I pointed out to him, if I had a serger, it would be easier. And a really great Serger, even easier! heehee I'm so subtle.

This is also the first time I've put one of my new labels on something. It's kind of fun!

Mail love

Look what came in the mail for me today! Kerry at the Beaded Forest had a contest a little while ago...and I won a selection of her stash! I'm excited about the darker cottons- I don't have many of those and they are often the perfect accent pieces in a patchwork project. Best of all, I love the chicken on the front of the card. Doesn't she look pet-able (I wouldn't try it, just think it)?!


I was going to post knitting progress, but an error in reading the pattern has caused negative progress in the past hours. Maybe tomorrow. Although I have a sewing project for tomorrow night (yay!).

Don't you hate it when your socks are too warm?

I have a solution! Using the pattern for Apres Ski socks in Lion Brand Yarn's Just Socks, I have found two extra stitches. It's nice, really, because turning the heel and forming the gusset this way adds a nice breathing hole.


I frogged the sock twice. Now, I'm using my sewing skills to ignore the hole- I'll sew it shut later. Cheating? You bet! I'm figuring I'll adjust the pattern on the next sock and see if that fixes the hole. To be honest, it might be a mistake I'm making...last night I was reading one of my knitting books and had an amazing revelation. Slip slip knit does NOT mean slip 1, slip 1, knit 1- it's an actual stitch! Oops. My decreases look much better now.

And before I head to bed, a cute story about my sweetie (who won the best boy ever award for helping me pin the hem on the corduroy skirt today!). A few days ago, I received my order from JoAnn.com for a bunch of hat/scarf/project yarn. It was piled on the couch Saturday and I looked over at one point to see my sweetie with a funny expression on his face, looking at a ball of Paton's classic wool. I asked what was wrong and he said "it just seems like a lot of yarn to only make a four inch square". I know he was kidding, but it cracked me up (and I felt pretty yucky this weekend with a head cold). I'm so lucky!

Corduroy skirt and a bag

Now, officially, my Christmas gifts are done. The bag is a tan Kona Cotton, with the Heather Ross' dog park in orange lining/reverse.


The corduroy skirt (Simplicity 5149) is done except the hem. I'll hang it to let the bias settle out- it's not really cut on a bias but it's enough against grain that I don't want to mess it up. I really like this skirt and I can imagine I'll be getting a LOT of use out of it. The pattern is super easy, and I cut a size 16 and used 1/2" seams instead of 5/8" because I was afraid it would be too tight. It's a little loose, but I think the fit is actually really good.


I was slightly frustrated when it came time to put the waistband on and I realized it was a facing instead of a waistband- I'd cut it deliberately on the bias and it looked really cute. Next time...

DPKNs

Knitting socks has so far eluded me, because I haven't mastered double pointed knitting needles. Using circular needles has been too tight with sock yarn (I tend to knit tightly). Tonight I finally had the idea of using larger dpkns and a larger yarn. So, size 10 needles and Lion Brand Homespun.


It looks like it will be a very happy new year, indeed.