Archive | March, 2009

Speaking of hair

31 Mar

Please say a silent prayer for me. I’m getting my first haircut in four years on Wednesday afternoon. I’ve been trimming it myself and it’s time to actually get a style. The last two haircuts I got left me looking like the love child of Eddie Murphy and Grace Jones. I have been sworn to upside down from my friend Kristy that her stylist knows, cuts, loves and respects natural hair. I have been promised that I will not be told how cute I would be with my hair relaxed or blown out and secretly sabotaged with Derk Jeter’s haircut.  The last cut was so bad, I actually went to the barber the next day and told him to take what was left of it off.

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Positive thoughts people. Positive thoughts!

Hats need hair

31 Mar

Rigggghhtt….. hat contest on PatternReview.com. I, had every intention of entering said contest, but, well, you know. So, last night I remembered and made up this vintage Butterick pattern. It was in a bundle that my friend’s mom and aunt sent me last summer. I made up View C on Monday night.

Oy. Way, way, too small on my head (so small that I am not showing it on me, but you can see it on my friend Chezia). Like yarmulke small on me.

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I took the pattern in to the office today, enlarged it by 10 percent on the photocopier and whipped it up in 30 mins flat this evening. Seriously. 30 minutes of sewing.

Supercute on my Chezia. See, even her smile is bigger.

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Here are side and back views. The pattern is just two pieces. No lining. It’s constructed with a series of darts and sew on brim that turns back to reveal the contract.

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Not so good on no-long hair having me. Which means I should give it to her. But, I’ll check first with my mom and see if she wants it.

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Here we are last Thursday. Chez is 8 years younger than me. So, being out past midnight on a school night is still fun for her. I, on the other hand was ready to fall off the stool.

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I present to you…

24 Mar

A pants draft:

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Do you hear angels singing? Because I did when I was done. Well, I’m not quite done. On Thursday, we are going to blend, true and equalize. Next week, we trace it off and make the pattern. Then, I will sew it up myself and see how they fit.

Interesting things of note:

12 inch difference between my waist and hip (well, my big a%% thighs as much as my actual hip). That means two darts in the front and back. Back darts have 1.25 intake and front darts are a 5/8 inch intake.

The Questions:

Will this draft account for my swayback? Or is that a fitting issue? I think it’s a fitting issue. Feel free to dissuade me.

Will this draft account for my large / muscular front thigh? Yes, I think so, right?

Will I ever draft a pair of pants again once I get this sloper done? Absolutely not.

Now, the room. You guys ROCK!! Ok. So, I’ve mentioned this before. I really need to move my sewing room to the basement. It’s hidden. It has more room, and a good 1/3 of my sewing supplies are down there anyway.

 

But, I think I need a pro or a neat freak to help design that space. And, I think I have GOT to put in cabinets. So, it’s a summer project. But, I’m going to get some boxes and start moving things. I need to peace of mind! Maybe a staycation come June.

One reason I’m not sewing

23 Mar

Today my mom asked me what I’m sewing. I laughed and said, ‘I’m not, because my sewing room is depressing me”.

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I beg of you. Please tell me that your sewing room, at times, resembles this nonsense.

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Here’s underneath my  cutting table. Please don’t tell me if I put something back after I use it then everything will be neat. Because, I don’t know that I have it in me. Hence, the vicious cycle.

I didn’t sew on Saturday because of this:

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Yeah. No water pressure in my bedroom shower. I let it get worse and worse until  I was unable to wash the conditioner out of my hair on Friday.  The plumber was here most of the day fixing it. And, it required moving most of my  clothes out of my closet (the left side has access to the faucets and pipes) to the guest room.

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Sigh. This is sad. I haven’t used a roller, hot or otherwise in about eight years. Yet, I found both sitting at the bottom/ back of my closet.  I really need to let this stuff go.

And, I didn’t sew on Sunday because I was in the office for about six hours interviewing students for our office summer fellowship. I need to write a post and solicit your opinions on how people should prep for an interview and what questions should and should not be asked. I was so mind numbingly bored by the end that I took myself out for burgers and mimosas when we were done.

I don’t sketch

21 Mar

Do you remember on Project Runway Season 3 when Angela Kessler (Keslar?) presented to someone and said, ‘I don’t sketch’?  I always thought that was odd. How do you sell your designs to someone if they can’t see it on paper? But, then again, I can’t draw worth a lick. At any rate, for class, we always have to use a croquis and sketch our design. The instructor says that it’s a good way to visualize what you want to do.

So, for my final project I kind of know what I want to make.  We can make a dress, blouse or skirt. I have an idea of at least one dress and one blouse I like. The first dress is this one by Helen Rose in ‘A Designing Woman’. I’ve wanted to make this dress ever since I saw it in the movie 10 years ago when my sewing skills were limited to straight lines and off-grain skirts.

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We owe three different design sketches in two weeks and I decided to take a stab at my first idea:

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Using the croquis makes it FAR easier. I still don’t sketch, but, I can trace. Not that this croquis is really scale to my shape! I have a beautiful red wool from ‘The Carol Collection’ that I could use. But, I actually think we’re only allowed to use wovens for class, certainly not this double knit. Hmmm, I forgot to add darts to the design above. Must remedy before Tuesday.

I’m just not sure how the bottom back goes. It looks gathered in this photo, with the tabs of fabric imitating the front tabs. Or possibly two or three rows of fabric with the tabs. I may have to rent the movie again. It’s been a good 10 years since I’ve seen it.

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On Monday we’re measuring to draft our own pants! We’re not supposed to sew them up. But, if we do, the instructor said she would critique the fit. You better believe I’m sewing mine!

Darn those Japanese magazines. Something new I’ve seen and decided my life is incomplete without. Pink and red pattern weights from Bunka.

** Thanks Ginerva for providing the link to Bunka! My friends. Try not to get sucked in. Now, I am dreaming of red, pink and blue pattern weights.

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I’m Intrigued….

18 Mar

Modern Seamster magazine? Are we familiar? I think it says Summer 2008. Where was I? I saw this posted in the Miscellaneous section of PatternReview.com.

Me, going crazy now that I know how to do screen caps

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Sometimes, work gets in the way

17 Mar

No class for me today. I was too busy to get out of work and too busy take the night class. But, I’m not complaining. Quite frankly, I’m happy to be employed. I had a new roomie all lined up for this summer. But, she emailed me this week to say she had been let go from her job and was moving home.  Too bad about class though, today we were doing sleeves. Thursday promises skirts.

On an aside, in my free time, I’m a junior wedding photo assistant these days. My very talented friend from college became a full-time photographer after realizing that the world of journalism was in the tank. Check out her website (I took the photo below). Dude, it took me three years to figure out how to do a screen capture with a Mac. Do you ever think you have more computer than you need?

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Joanns. Well, I called them (multiple times) and told them I had received 25 yards of muslin for a whopping $1.49. They told me to bring in the receipt the next time and they would make the correction. Thanks for the phone call suggestion!

Drafting a Basic Collar

15 Mar

So, here’s a quickie on drafting collars. I’m going to do my best here…

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Above is my drafted collar. Darn, it’s labeled wrong. Ummm. Ok. Below is the draft on the fold.

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From A down is the height of the collar.  Generally, collars are 3 inches tall. A down is the Center Back (shown a D in the first photo).

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B to C in the first photo equals my total neck measurement. You get that that from measuring the neckline on the front and back of  your sloper / pattern
B to D is the center back to the shoulder

The roll line (in green) is half the width of the collar, tapering to ½ inch from the center front (C)
F is the point of the collar, and that extends past line C, the collar front,  by a minimum 1 inch.

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To do the undercollar, just trim about 1/8 from the collar edge graduating to nothing in the corner.

You my friend, have a collar

I’m starting the last of the four ring quadrants on the Single Girl quilt! I have made two cutting mistakes during construction, but since I’m not a hardcore matchy matchy girl, I think it’ll all be ok.
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This week I worked with the darker prints I got from fabricworm.com. More browns. I’m not sure yet if I’ll make all dark  (below) and all light circles (above), or mix the two together so each circle is half light and half dark. Either way, I’m like 1/8 of a yard short of each print to finish the final quadrant! That’s what I get for moving from a crib (4 circles) to a twin quilt (12) and just assuming the fabric would work out!

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I didn’t have time to call Joanns today. I had to work for a few hours in the middle of the day. I’ll do it tomorrow. That was great advice. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me to call them!

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For the love of an industrial

14 Mar

My friend Lilya owns a sewing shop about 20 mins from me with three industrials at the ready.  I spent several hours in her store today working on the outside of the Weekender — the bag that will not die.

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I am physically tired from the exercise. But, I only broke three needles at her place. And still want / need to go around it a second time. The stitching is just not close enough to the piping for my peace of mind. I want to trim back the seam allowance too so it wraps nicer (that Timtex is making the edges stick out I think).  I could also try ironing the edges.  My stitching is reeeeal close to the edge of the fabric in more places that I would like to admit.

So, this is going to wait a couple more weeks until I can get back to her store. I still need to make the lining.

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I hit Joanns today for some quilting template. While there, I got this box for carrying my school supplies. It’s kind of pink, isn’t it?

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Moral Dilema: I bought a bolt of muslin for school and home. Halfway home, I realized I was charged just $2.49 (minus my 40 percent off coupon) for all 25 yards. Do I make a special trip back so they can charge me the additional $35 or do I wait ’til my next Joann trip in a month?

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Random Photo Friday

13 Mar

So, my mom and I spent three weeks in Australia and New Zealand about four years ago. I flew in from Baltimore (32 hours including a brutal six-hour layover in Los Angeles) and she flew in from Seoul (8 hours?).  We landed in Sydney first thing in the morning and decided to beat jet lag by starting out.  We headed straight for the Sydney Opera House. ALL, I wanted was a photo in front of the Opera House. I had traveled from VERY far away and was leaving for Melbourne in 48 hours and I HAD to get a photo in front of the Opera House. I thought, ‘Ha! I’ll use it for my holiday card this year. People can show their babies and dogs. I went to Australia and everyone is going to know it!”   My mom tried hard. She’ll be the first to tell you, she’s not the greatest photographer. So, I present to you, the photo my mom got of me in front of the Opera House.

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Me, looking annoyed and this family of like 10 that would NOT get out of  the shot.

Had class yesterday and it was a whole different scene! First, the antagonist said ‘hello’ when I came in to class. Most of the girls were exceptionally nice to me. And the classroom was the most orderly and focused it’s been since we started. It was a PLEASURE to draft collars! I know I say this every week, but I will show that this weekend. It’s so easy and cool to watch it come to life on paper!

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