Spring has sprung!

After last weekend's long nights of below-freezing temperatures and forced insomnia on top of a mountain in Arizona, I returned home to find that spring had arrived in my absence. We have flowers (and lots and lots of weeds) popping up in various locations around our rental house. I had lunch outside in the sunshine on Friday and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I think I had the tiniest bit of a sunburn on my arms the next day. Today was a little cooler than the last few days and also overcast, so James and I spent a solid 3 hours working in the yard -- him with the lawn mower, and me attacking the weeds and pruning the various shrubs. The yard looks MUCH better now. :)

I started working on my next sewing project, Simplicity 5914. I'm making view B, the short tulip skirt, out of a beige cotton twill with a bit of lycra for stretch (ordered from Fashion Fabrics Club, my new favorite fabric store).
I cut everything out today and basted all the seams to check the fit. I have what is known as an "I" shape (= little waist definition), so I cut a 10 to fit my hips but graded up to a 12 at the waist based on the flat pattern measurements. It seems to fit pretty well at the waist, but I may need to tweak the shaping of the hips just a bit. I'll check the fit again tomorrow and then finalize the seams. This is a super quick pattern, and I'm sure I can finish this up easily in another evening or two, although I do have to go pick up some hook and eye closures. Right now, it's looking too long, so I'll probably have to chop a bit of length off the bottom. Should be a nice comfortable skirt that can be dressed up and dressed down.

I also have a lightweight wool to make view F, and I could see myself making a few additional versions of this in the near future as well. Since starting my new job, I've realized I don't have enough work-appropriate items in my wardrobe to deal with all of the weather fluctuations throughout the year. I'm hoping to make a handful of skirts for the spring and summer, and I have a few simple dress patterns that I'm hoping to whip up as well. Whatever it takes to survive the humid Georgia summers!

Tired...

Too tired to think of anything to say, so here's a pretty picture instead. It's 4:17am, with another 2.5 hours to go before sunrise. I've run out of web pages to surf and I've heard the same 10 songs on the radio about 10 times each tonight. They apparently have a very short playlist that they set to loop overnight when all the non-astronomers are sleeping.

Observing

I'm off traveling again. It's 12:40am (2:40am back home) and I'm trying to keep myself awake just a bit longer so that I'll sleep later tomorrow before the first night of observing. So I stood out in the cold and played with our digital SLR camera for a bit. Recognize the star pattern (asterism) above? Hint -- it's upside down.

I'm actually quite impressed with the level of detail captured in this photo (there's a higher resolution version on my Facebook page). The exposure time was only 60s, but you can already see the stars streaking due to the Earth's rotation. And you can pick out the different colors of the stars. I'll try to take some more photos while I'm here where the skies are nice and dark.

FO: Blackberry Cardigan

I finished knitting the Blackberry Cardigan last week while still at my parents' home. Unfortunately, it's still drying after I gave it a good soak this weekend, so no modeled photos yet. Here you can see it drying on a towel on the floor in our spare room. I picked up some wooden buttons and I'll sew them on once the sweater has completely dried.

This was my first time knitting with Cascade 220 wool (#2420 heather) and I now understand all the fuss. It's really nice to knit with, very soft and squishy while still in the skein, and even softer after a good soak. I can see myself knitting with it again in the future. I also really like the layers of colors in the heathered yarn.

I bought 7 skeins of yarn and only ended up using about 5.75. So I still have a good 300 yards or so of the yarn left. I'm undecided what to make with it, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

This was a fun project to knit, although I kept messing up on the back in the blackberry patch of stitches, so I had to rip back a few times. I haven't knit too many cabled projects yet, and this one was fun. I might have to knit more cables! I'm working on a plain stockinette stitch project right now, which is great for not having to pay attention, but can get a bit boring. I have seen other knitters who recommend having two projects on the needles at the same time, one easy and one involved, so there's always something to work on that matches your mood. I might have to start doing the same. But the simple stockinette should travel nicely with me on my trip tomorrow.

FO: Simplicity 2638

My wearable muslin for Simplicity 2638 is basically finished. I cut it out Friday night, cut the lining and interfacing and sewed the whole bodice Saturday, and sewed the skirt and put in the zipper Sunday. I just need to hem it -- which is convenient for photos because I can hide my socks under the skirt! It's chilly in here tonight. Pardon the sleepy face, it's late and I had a long day at work.

The fabric is an all-purpose cotton print from fabric.com. It's a bit heavier than the fabrics that the pattern calls for, but it still worked all right. It was very easy to sew with, and the pattern was really easy too. I lined the bodice with an ivory cotton voile that is really soft and pleasant! I had a little trouble getting everything to line up at the midriff yoke (there's a lot of layers of fabric right there!), but I don't think you can really tell on the finished dress. Here's a close-up:

I'm still figuring out my size with the Big 4 pattern companies. My measurements called for a size 12. I cut a size 10 based on the finished garment measurements, but I still had to make a few small adjustments at the end. The back neck was too wide causing it to gape, so I put some little tucks in at the neckline to take out 1" total width. And the arm holes were a bit big, so I put a tuck on each side to take out 1/2". The rest of the fit is ok, but I could have gone down a whole size based on the final size of the bodice and midriff.

I plan to make this again with a cotton lawn floral print from Fashion Fabrics Club. I'll probably cut a size 8 and make sure that the final back neck width and arm hole sizes are small enough since those were the only places where the exact sizing seemed to matter. I'll also spread the gathering of the skirt all the way around, instead of preferentially in front, since that results in an excess of fabric right at my stomach that seems a little weird. I ordered the fabric last week and am just waiting for it to arrive. At $2.80/yd, I'm looking forward to having a really well-fitting, inexpensive summer dress!

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this dress turned out, considering this is still only sewing project #4! And this is the first sewing project where I haven't followed a sewalong or a learn-to-sew book, just the pattern itself. I've now brought the cost-per-use for my sewing machine down from $36.67 per garment (after 3 garments), to $27.50 per garment.

FO: Crepe Dress

I finished the Crepe Dress! It was done a few weeks ago, but it took me a while to hem it. Here I am modeling it while wearing my new Franco Sarto pumps (I finally found black all-purpose pumps!) and red lipstick (which I never wear but this dress was calling for).

I really like the fabric and the colors, but unfortunately, I don't think this is the most flattering style on me. I'm apparently an "I" shape, and the red sash just draws attention to my lack of waist. It's really too bad, because it's a fun, feminine dress (while the pinstripes keep it from being too girly). And it has pockets!

Inside shot of the dress. The fabric was a cotton/linen blend that was really simple to sew and easy to press as well. I used a combination of French seams and zigzagging to finish the inside of the skirt (whatever was easiest in the situation). And I hand sewed the hem and finished it with red lace seam tape from my now extensive collection. I'm pretty happy with how all the sewing turned out and a bit more confident in my sewing skills too.

Close up of the fabric and the fun red lace seam tape on the inside of the hem.

I definitely learned a lot through the sewalong process. Many, many thanks to Gertie for hosting and for sharing so many tips along the way!

This week: FO Parade

I'm back from my parents' home and spring break is over. Back to work tomorrow morning, bright and early! I'll be heading out of town again on Thursday, but in the meantime, I'll be posting three finished objects this week (one each evening before I leave, hopefully). I've been a busy little bee, but I still have a few finishing touches to put on each project before I can post pictures.

So instead, here's a photo of my hometown, where I spent the better part of this week (although the photo shows much nicer weather than we experienced during my visit):


Be sure to check back often this week! I have lots to share!

Zippers and tapes and threads, oh my!

I'm visiting my parents right now, and I had asked my mom if she still had any sewing stuff laying around that she would be willing to part with. She used to sew, back when I was little, but has long since stopped. So she said she'd look around.

Lo and behold, here is what I will be taking home with me! Apparently, someone in the distant past (my parents can't remember who) gave my mom a huge stash of sewing notions, most of which are still sitting here in their original packaging. I remember using some of the seam lace for random craft projects when I was little, but didn't realize how much there was. I'm already inspired to use some of the red seam lace on the inside hem of my Crepe dress, which I conveniently haven't hemmed yet. I'm sure I can put some of these other fun colors to use on projects that I have planned for the near future as well. I may have to get creative with the use of some of these other pieces (orange zippers and thread anyone??) but that could be a fun challenge for me to take on as I plan my next projects.

I've almost finished the shawl collar on my Blackberry cardigan. It's been duly admired by my mom and my friend Jodi, so it's time for it to be finished so I can have it be admired by the rest of the world. That's my goal for today (the last few days have been pleasantly goal-free!) so that I can soak it and lay it out to dry so it will be finished when I leave tomorrow afternoon. I need to stretch the sleeves a bit when I lay it out, but other than that, I'm happy about how it's coming together. I'll need to find some nice buttons for it when I get home. Maybe some wooden buttons...

When I go shopping for buttons, I'll also be hitting the JoAnn's $1.99 Simplicity pattern sale this weekend, and I plan to pick up these patterns at the very least:
Simplicity 5914. I already have a khaki twill with a bit of stretch that I'll be using to make the short tulip version, or something similar anyway. I think it will be a nice casual skirt to wear to work over the summer when I don't have to dress up as much. And I have a really pretty black and gray light suiting to make the short A-line version.
Simplicity 2208. I really like the hooded version, not so much the other two. I wear fleece jackets often when the weather is cold, especially for just bumming around the house in the evening or on weekends. So I might as well spend some time on something I know I will wear!
Simplicity 2206 (won't be on sale, but only $3.50 anyway). Also in keeping with trying to sew things I will actually wear. I wear a lot of knits but have been a bit hesitant to try to sew with them. Since this is supposed to be an easy pattern, maybe it's a good place to start. And I always need little cardigans and jackets when the weather starts to warm up because the air conditioning in businesses tends to be turned up higher than I can handle. I'm thinking gray, because it would be a nice neutral color.

It's really too bad that the pattern sale doesn't include New Look patterns, because I've just discovered them and have my eye on several! Maybe I'll toss one or two in since they're not too expensive. In particular:
New Look 6375. I like the modeled version (though not for work), but I especially like view D with the draped bodice. I could see making several dresses from this pattern to wear during the awful Georgia summers. Might as well get started on some soon so I have them when the humidity and heat arrive.
New Look 6643. A nice cool linen would make this great for work during the summer too. I could stretch it into fall with cardigans or jackets. I could also see myself making multiple versions of this dress.

That's probably enough planning for now. I have a lot of sewing to do to catch up with all my plans! I'm headed home Thursday and should have a bit of time over the weekend to hem my Crepe dress (and possibly take the side seams in a bit more on the bodice) as well as start a new sewing project. I haven't yet decided what I will make next, but I have lots of fun options.