stitcheriffic

I finished my second t-shirt for the 6PAC, and am pretty happy with the asymmetrical design of the decorative neckline detail; the beading adds just a tiny bit of sparkle. I lowered the neckline about an inch and a half from the "standard" t-shirt draft, and think it could even go a bit lower.I only handstitched the sleeve hems, and did a basic machine finish on the body hem and the neckline. Since the beads are stitched on with topstitching thread the whole thing should be machine washable (on gentle cycle) I am pretty happy with this one.

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Last night was fun! Two friends and somewhere between four and five hours of hatmaking... The plan was to use the Green Pepper Norwester Hat pattern as a jumping off point. I have been experimenting with different ways of constructing the hat, since if not making it as a Goretex rainhat, there are many easier ways to put those pieces together, that involve less wrestling with the boardlike interfacing, and less chance of the pins causing a blood sacrifice to the sewing gods.

Beth got her hat to the "almost finished, just needs edgebinding stage", and Cheriti, who arrived and started later, made an excellent beginning. I love stitching company, and am happy to see my pals be successful. Am also considering offering a workshop on "Machine-Sewn Millinery"...

kibbles-n-bits

This last weekend our plucky heroine went on a 4 mile ramble that involved a bit of uphill and downhill, this morning I rode my bike for almost 8 miles. Pushing against inertia, my intent is to get my strength and stamina back again; 'twill take time, but doing nothing means no improvement.

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In news from the micro-garden, harvested about a pound of tomatillos from the plants that Mindy gave me earlier this year... might not sound like much, but that is enough for a modest batch of salsa verde... and there is one little jalapeno as well, so once some lime juice is acquired, canning will happen, probably this weekend in the cool of the evening sometime.

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Another project that I started on this weekend was the grading up of the Ur-Pattern. My intention is to grade the pattern to fit my current size, which was not ever then (or now) a size 5 Junior... Normally when patterns are graded, they are enlarged in both length and width. I am no taller than I was as a teenager, but I am wider. This pattern is for a much smaller size than I ever was, even as a child, so the grading involves adding 4 3/4 inches to each quadrant.

Just for comparison sake, here is the front midriff piece: original, and graded for width. In grading it is also necessary to smooth out the extended curves, since simply "connecting the dots" leaves a rather irregular result.

The front bodice piece: original, and graded for width, with an adjustment in bust size as well. The shape of the new pattern piece looks very odd, because I have shoulders that are proportionally extremely narrow.

This is a project that will involve more than one trial garment... pattern grading and modification is complex.

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I am being pleasantly amazed at how much tidying can be done in 20 minutes, and how painless it is to tidy for short bursts of time interspersed with 10 minute breaks... with the inspiration of UfYH, by the time my pals arrive tonight for the Hatmaking Shindig: Phase 1, there should be plenty of Useful Flat Surfaces here at Acorn Cottage.

blossom smile some sunshine

Our plucky heroine has files of inspirational images, and the motifs on this stenciling tutorial were particularly tasty... Index cards are scattered hither and yon around Acorn Cottage, always handy for notes and sketches. Some doodles of possible neckline embellishments, and the lefthand one seemed like just the right one...

Traced the center front pattern piece and sketched out the central motif, as well as some stylised cherry blossoms. The initial sketch had a blossom located in an unfortunate position, which necessitated a second sketch, after some cut and past of the initial design elements. Added some circles to fill in and balance the motifs...

Have discovered that it is entirely possible to use wax paper instead of tracing paper, at a substantial savings. The only drawback is that it is not possible to sketch with pencil on the wax paper, but for many applications that is not necessary; what does work is to trace designs using a sharpie marker, the alcohol based ink dries fast and does not smear.

The design translated well into the chosen fabrics. Using freezer paper stenciling, the motifs were painted black, then running stitched in grey around the edges. Then it was somehow necessary to add detailing around the center of the blossoms - iridescent bugle beads were just what was needful! Once all that was stitched in place, most of the painted motif was cut away, carefully, leaving about 1/8" border

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The mystery plant seen on the beach this past weekend turns out to be Grindelia stricta (Puget Sound Gumweed), a west coast native. The plant apparently also has medicinal uses, particularly in treating poison oak. I love the internet, when my own search-fu is unsuccessful, there is always someone out there who knows more than I do... in this case I availed myself of the Flower Forums flower identification message board, and in less than two hours had the answer to my query...