Someplace Elsewhere

Update on the Garment fitting class  - it’s moving right along. I chose this pattern for my pencil skirt and I’ve put together the muslin (mostly). It seems to be coming together nicely. The pattern was easy to cut out and mark. Our instructor suggested thread marking the stitch lines which was gibberish to me. This week, in between job hunting,  I watched a few videos online to figure out these terms. Being a self taught sewer has it’s pros and cons.

After stumbling upon several “couture technique” videos, one thought came to mind: “Jeepers Creepers this takes making a skirt to a whole new level of time commitment!”

I am looking forward to the end result though. We are only required to make one of the four garments out of fashion fabric. Still, who wants to go to all that trouble to fit yourself in a muslin and not actually make the darn thing? I’m totally making this skirt once I get the fit down. I’m just not sure what fabric to choose. I bought a really cute stretch cotton print at a remnant sale, so if I have enough, I’d like to use that for this skirt.

Outside of the classroom, Rebekah and I made a journey to JoAnn’s for the much anticipated Vogue pattern sale. Vogue released a few new patterns I was anxious to get, such as this cute jacket/top. The fabric was already washed and ready for cutting, so I prepped everything last night. I also bought a few other patterns to add to my growing stash :) Hoping that several will get on the cutting table very soon.

In other news, I discovered how to make Twinkies from scratch! Super easy and delicious. Definitely better than the packaged ones. 

As a final thought, STILL working on finishing that Blurb book. No matter what, it will be finished by Tuesday because that’s when the coupon expires :) 

What are you working on this weekend?

My fake fur vest!

What is up with fake fur vests? They are seriously EVERYWHERE! Walking through Union Square I saw no less than 5 different versions in store windows and I couldn’t get them out of my head. I had to make one.

So here’s my take on the fur vest. I chose a black fur with a a polka-dot knit lining. There is a slightly funny story about this lining. At the fabric store, the bolt was stored inside out and appeared to be striped. Chris even thought it was striped.  Once it got home I realized that it’s actually polka dot. I hope it’s not hard to see from the photos, but it really gives a nice contrast to the blacky-black of that fake fur.

It’s definitely not the warmest little jacket, but it feels super silky and soft.  This is a nice little vest and very easy pattern - MCCall’s 3311. I did make a few adjustments to the pattern. The cut is pretty roomy, but I wanted the hood to be a bit smaller, so I cut the smallest size on the hood. If I was making this again, I would probably add a couple of inches to the length so it hit at the hips. Also I would add darts in the bust to tailor it a bit.

Because of the lining, there was quite a bit of slip-stitching and understitching. This is the first time I’ve really understood the purpose of understitching.  :) Now I know and hopefully I can use this technique again.

So, onto the next project! What are you making? Any handmade holiday gifts?

Had enough of Halloween? I’m still sad it’s over. Sorry for the delayed post, but I’ve been intellectually unavailable recently.

This Halloween I really tried to push myself creatively. Nothing makes me happier than getting lots of costume requests and this year we had some interesting ones :)

Chris wanted to be Wilfred and Tim needed new accessories for his Brian costume and I just wanted to do something simple. A couple of years ago I made a Strawberry Shortcake costume for my sister and I really wanted to be Blueberry Muffin to match, just like when we were kids. I took my existing Alice in Wonderland dress and replaced the apron with a simple design and made a giant felt hat. All in all, I was thrilled with the results of all the traditional costumes.

Making things is so rewarding especially when it’s a challenge. A friend of mine from work had a very creative costume idea. He decided to be a squirrel and his girlfriend would be acorn. We bantered around ideas and came up with a fun way to execute making this nut out of foam and a smooth double knit fabric. I headed over to Fabric Outlet in Mission and got my materials. It was surprising how easily it came together. I made a little caplet out of fleece for the top of the acorn. Very simple design, I cut it using pinking shears and then gathered the top. The tie was made from brown satin ribbon from Jo Anne Fabrics.

Finally, I wanted to enter some costume contests this year. Unfortunately I didn’t win (boo!) but I was very happy with my entry of a 1950s-inspired super girl costume for Corrie from work.  The big inspiration for this outfit was some material I got for $2/yd and I added all the trim with a sporty solid fabric. She looked smokin’ hot in her red boots and cape IMHO.

That’s it for this year’s Halloween. Hopefully, even more interesting costume ideas will come my way next year! What did you make?

Commuting 

Three weeks and no missed days on the bike. Commuting now is an adventure, a joy and restorative. Thinking is easier. Getting through the work day is easier. Seeing the city from that perspective is a treat. 

The best part is seeing this bridge rounding the last corner before home. No better feeling in the world.