Exam Week

Whew, whirlwind few weeks it has been between a (short) visit to Durham, NC for a week of reveling in good news on the Ph.D. front and then smack into paper writing season no. 1. So much reading, so much slouching around kind of slovenly (OK, jeans with no make-up. I exaggerate). Sewing and knitting has been going in fits and starts and I have a bunch of old projects still to show you but photography time has not been able to wheedle itself into the schedule.

I did want to share a few things that I am loving this week though, if only so I remember to knock them off later… Click through to see the original post.

Isn’t Lucky Lucille’s duvet cover darling? (Also the puppy, also that AWESOME typewriter pillow! I’ve been trying to track down that same fabric for ages…).

Not a DIY but I wish Colette Patterns would make a version of this dress. It’s actually a vintage find and Sarai’s accompanying thoughts on clothing quality, and the ensuing comments, were an interesting addition to my morning coffee.

Apparently the prospect of moving (again) gets me in a weird nesting-preparedness mood because I’m a little obsessed with A Beautiful Mess’s cloth napkins. Though I feel less weird about my napkin excitement since she happened to pick a bunch of prints I’ve been wanting (and some sitting in the stash… hmmm…)

Actual Sewing Content

O.K., it isn’t actually what I gave you a teaser of in my last (non injury related) post. This was actually a 2012 project made in the short (very short) interim between finals madness and flying home for Christmas.

My best impersonation of a Joanie-approved pose. Though she would probably be annoyed that I’m in front of a camera sans makeup

This is the pencil skirt from Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing. As I may have mentioned a million times, I am more or less Gertie sized so this project has no alterations other than lopping 2 inches off of the length. Mid-calf is just not a good length on me. I also opted for the optional boning in the waistband which I’m going to go ahead and call non-optional for all future renditions, I just can’t imagine it not folding into an accordioned wad every time I bend over (or, lets be realistic, slouch).

The dart placement on this pattern really makes me happy. I have no idea why but two darts just seems infinitely more classy than one. Or I am easily amused.

I must say I really love this book. While it doesn’t give a lot of information on techniques unfamiliar to me it is a fabulous collection of patterns, especially if you want versions of the VoNBBS patterns without having to track them all down and resize them to more modern proportions. My one pet peeve is that the pattern pieces overlap, so you have no choice but to trace them out (or get each page copied several times I suppose). I generally trace patterns anyway but the maze of lines is difficult to follow for some of the pieces and you have to be careful not to trace a weird franken-pattern of multiple pieces. If you can get over that, it’s great! Also, have you heard she apparently has two, two, books in the works? I am super excited.

Again, these darts are legit. My jaunty shoulder sweater technique could use some work though.

The actual skirt I’m somewhat ambivalent about. Though it fits really well, the fabric isn’t my favorite. Its a heavy flannel houndstooth from JoAnn fabrics that I was hoping would make a warmer winter skirt without me having to try and pick out wool over the internet. It has pilled a fair bit with only 2 wears and just doesn’t look very nice to me. Honestly, I’m probably the only one that notices but next time I’m going to be a little more careful on the fabric selection. I’m imagining a collection of brightly colored wool skirts, maybe some with polka-dots, for next fall. It needs to happen.

More darts! Darts forever! Also, the lone mint button on the back pleases me. Especially when I found a t-shirt to match it.

Also, while we are here can we talk about how it needs to stop snowing in PA? About how it needs to stop snowing because this outfit really needs these shoes and not snow boots?Thifting is often really hit and miss for me but this may be the equivalent of a home run: $10 kelly green leather heels for the win.

Ten Guesses

I’m pretty sure you won’t need ten guesses to figure out what I did.

I sewed through my finger. On Valentine’s Day of all things (yes, before you ask, the boyfriend did take me to the doctors to get it checked out. After he asked me why I sewed through my finger, of course). Other than feeling a bit silly in the ER not too much is wrong with it. Aside from the hole in my finger, anyway. I do get a nice course of antibiotics and a handy reminder that I should probably keep my tetanus up to date.

The funniest part though was everyone at the hospital wanted to know about my sewing. My doctor joked that he didn’t know that they made sewing machines anymore (I resisted getting a little snarky at this point, I really couldn’t tell if he was joking or not) but most of the nurses wanted to know what I was making and how long I’d been sewing. I got a lot of quick stories about home-ec classes in middle school, quilting grandmothers, and even a mother that cursed about hemming curtains. Except for the throbbing digit it was actually a little fun.

Anyway, considering I’ve been doing some kind of crafty something since childhood and this is the first time it had sent me to the doctor I’m doing pretty well. I’m also heartened by the fact that I’ve heard dozens of stories of sewers doing the same thing but none about anyone doing it a second time.

And if you’ve done it a second time, don’t tell me. I’m entirely fine with my delusions that my hobbies won’t bite back.

But seriously. Don’t tell me.

Yep, I Lied

So a short hiatus turned into a semester long blog desertion. Once I got into the M.A. program groove, PhD applications took over along with final papers and general stress chez Toasty. Instead of blogging and sewing, the common practice became curling up in a corner with some Nutella and Doctor Who reruns.

With all that done and applications over with (except for the occasional nagging panic of “did I get in? Did I? DID I?”) and classes under control (not to mention the irritating lack of a job for the semester at the moment) sewing is mostly back in full swing and I even have a few projects to share over the coming weeks.

Avoiding the weirdness of New Years resolutions while making what seems suspiciously like one, I will be a better blogger. Not a good blogger, a timely blogger, or anything like that. I said better and I have, apparently, not set my own bar very high given my track record.

In more stitchy news, this is what is currently on the plate:

A dress. With foxes. Be still my sqweeing heart. I love this fabric so much even though I am normally not an orange and coral kind of gal.  I totally am a novelty print and woodland animal one though so I’m expanding my color horizons. This dress is actually finished but you’ll have to wait until less awful lighting to see it. That and I’ll have to brush my hair in between reading William Hazlett and Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution. Not to belittle the French Revolution but I feel that Burke might have been a little more positive if he had more leaping orange foxes in his life. Just a thought.

In a continuing novelty theme I bring you a bird sweater! Not much to say about this one except that it is moving very slowly, though through no fault of its own. The pattern is Ysolda Teague’s Chickadee and I have no idea about the yarn as I seem to have lost all of the ball bands.

On a separate note, have you seen her Narwhal Mittens? Normally I am firmly anti-mitten but I may have to make an exception.

 

Last but not least, a wiggle dress from Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing. Outside of being fabulously dull to photograph in progress (I blame grey wool) this is my new favorite. Ever. The size 8 fits like a glove with absolutely no alterations. Praise Gertie for having the same measurements as me, apparently. I’m debating whether or not this is going to get lined, as I would need to order fabric online (Pittsburgh is lovely except for its severe lack of good fabric stores) or pillage a lining from another soon-to-be project and I want to wear this dress now. I feel like the nerdy professor version of Joanie in it, which is basically truth in advertising except that I’m normally running around in a level of mild unkemptness that Joanie would probably fire me for. Sigh.

As I Said,

Totally alive, even though I haven’t posted in pretty much forever. See, I just drove across the entire country (no big) with my entire life in order to go to graduate school. Along with this comes a lot of packing, wrapping things up, and learning how to pump gas for the first time (self-serve is illegal in Oregon). SO not much making of things has been happening, mostly packing and moving of things.

But now I know where groceries can be had and how the buses work (still haven’t found beer though. Pennsylvania, thou art weird). As a programming note, I don’t expect to be posting more than once a week because of school, trying to get into the doctoral program, etc.

Today though, I have a blanket to share with you. It’s Ysolda’s Hap Blanket from Whimsical Little Knits knit in Cascade 109 bulky (the red) with a pinkish-salmon Cascade Eco Wool. See it on Ravelry here.

I ended up adding about a foot in width and about two feet in length to the original pattern. It’s pretty straightforward until the lace edging and even then it’s just adding an extra repeat or so as needed. Easy peasy.

However, it is a pretty heavy knit. Towards the end I could only knit a few rows before my elbows ached. Between that and the extra repeats I thought that the edging would never end. I had to force myself to finish the thing.

But finished it is and I think it’s pretty nice. I don’t know if there are many more knit blankets in my future but I suppose at least the one is nice.

I Promise I Still Exist

Yes, its been over a month since I’ve posted (bad blogger, I know). I’ve just moved from Oregon to Pittsburgh and have been surprisingly busy wrapping up things back home and setting things up here (not to mention being on the road for almost two weeks). 

As I start graduate school things are going to continue to be sporadic but I hope to get back to regularly scheduled programming this week.

Oregonians in the Summer Time, or the Umbrella Dress

I’ve always thought that Oregonians are sort of like ice cubes, generally pretty chill and they melt in high heat. Seriously, the only thing more whiney than an Oregonian wishing for proper summer weather is an Oregonian in temperatures above 95 degrees. We are a temperate people.

And apparently, I’ve been missing the drizzle and grey because I felt the need to make a summer dress covered in umbrellas. As you do. (Seriously though: keep up with the warm, Northwest, I want a real summer this year).

It’s another Bombshell from Gertie’s class  but I swapped out the gathered skirt for a half circle skirt. I was a little iffy on the whole thing as I used quilting cotton and thought it might be too heavy to drape well. As it turns out, the stiffness keeps the skirt out and full (as horsehair in a hem might do) properly encouraging girly skirt twirl fests.

The skirt is also lined with another quilting cotton (I have a problem) to avoid as potential visibility issues plus it furnished an excellent opportunity to add a little embroidered detail. It was nice to finally break out the embroidery stitches on my machine. Now I just need to find the right garment to use the tiny bicycles on…

The belt is made from one of Sunni’s belt kits (highly recommended by the way) and scraps from my red Truffle dress. I am definitely a homemade belt convert, I wear this thing all the time. Now I just need to figure out what to do with my other kit.

Speaking of scraps, check out my on-the-home-stretch quilt top:

Bam. I’m hoping to get it done by the end of this week so it can be quilted before I move to Pittsburgh next month. Only 23 days!