Works in Progress II ….aka What I did on Spring Break

Well…. Spring Break is sadly coming to an end 😦  Projects were started, projects were completed, and much time was spent lounging in bed in my PJs 😀

I have now finished the body for my Cropped Sweater for Winter and it actually fits!!!!!  Despite photo evidence to the contrary I am really excited about this!  I was so excited in fact I took this photo before I had fully bond it off 🙂

In other news, I cut and did a basted together mock-up of my very first Renfrew.  This is also very exciting because it fits too!!  I’m now working on putting it together for real…..ignore the wine glass 😉

You may be wondering, dear reader, why I’m so excited to have tops fit me.  You see when I first began sewing and knitting I had a hell of a time getting things to fit the *ahem* “girls”.  In fact, I have a skirt I refer to as The Failed Dress, because it was only after cutting the entire thing and getting half way done I realized there was NO WAY the bodice was EVER going to fit 😦

Aaaaannnnd the Spring garden has been started!  Technically, the Husband did all the work on this one, but I’m taking credit anyways….. that’s how marriage works isn’t it? 😉

[Side note: This is our “Grow Closet”, it’s funny ’cause it makes us sound like pot growers. (Side side note: to local law enforcement we do not grow pot, I repeat we do not grow pot…please don’t raid our house). The Husband actually built everything you see here including the table, light, and fan… I have to brag on him ’cause I know he’d never do it himself 🙂 ]

We’ve got yellow squash, cucumber, okra, green beans, and four different varieties of tomatoes coming up here!  Seeds that haven’t sprouted yet include- zucchini, green peppers, and watermelon.

And there you have it My Spring Break…. getting drunk at Mardi Gras in New Orleans it is not (which was Spring Break 10 years ago)…. of course neither was it working all day in the library on my master’s degree Case Study while periodically questioning my life choices (which was last years Spring Break)!

Mustard Corduroy Ginger Skirt

Hellloooo dear reader!  I am smack in the middle of our Spring Break…which means more time off….which means I finally finished my Ginger Skirt!

BEHOLD!

This is as I mentioned earlier the second Ginger skirt I’ve made.  My first Ginger was actually exactly same except navy with red trim.

I’m much happier with this version.  If I remember correctly the navy/red version was one of (if not THE) first piece of clothing I sewed.  I somehow made it too large….which is impressive because I’ve put on a good 5-10lbs and it still doesn’t fit quite right!  (Which is just as well since it has a hole in it now.)  This is the exact same size (size 14) and as you see it fits pretty well.  I suspect I fucked up the seam allowance somehow on the original.

The fabric is a really nice 100% cotton corduroy from Mulberry Silks, an independent fabric store in Chapel Hill, NC.  It’s light and airy, which is great now that it’s starting to warm up!  I have a weakness for quality fabric

I used the waistband from version 2, but the skirt body from version 3…because I’m a rebel! Always keep them guessing, that’s what I say!  I do like the way it creates a subtle chevron pattern with the cords.  So subtle, in fact, you don’t really have to worry about pattern matching, ’cause really….. ain’t no one got time for that shit!

As you can see I just pinked the seams.  It worked for the first Ginger, fingers-crossed it’ll work for this one.  And sadly no lace hem tape on this project.

I topstitched both the waistband and the hem.  Instead of topstitching thread I just doubled up on regular cotton thread.  Lladybird wrote about using that method… I figure if it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for me!  Plus, no need to make extra trips out when you realize you don’t have any navy topstitching thread- BONUS!

I used this tutorial to add the flat piping to the waistband and this tutorial to MAKE the flat piping.  I’m very proud of that bias tape!  The first Ginger I ended up with three lengths of tape, as opposed to one continuous length.  This time one beautiful continuous length- hell yeah improvements!

I did however have a heck of a time lining up the zipper…. and you can see it’s still a bit off.  Oh well, if it was too perfect you couldn’t tell it was hand made 🙂

I’m excited about my time off… I’m already starting on a new project and I’m making lots of progress with my sweater!  So, tune in for more posts 🙂

* Photos of me in the skirt were taken by the ever gracious Jen, who stopped by on her way home from work.  Go check out her blog as she struggles with spandex!

Someone gave me an Award?! …..also Pi Day!!

Originally I was going to post this last week and I had a whole opening about how I managed two posts in one week again….but that didn’t happen    Aaaannd I’m too lazy to come up with another opening so here: 

Another two posts in one week! That’s just crazy talk….although if it’s any portent for the last time I posted twice in one week it probably means there’ll be nothing for two weeks!  Oh well, thems the breaks.

So… I evidently got nominated for a Liebster Award!  So, far as I can tell this “award” is basically a way to bring attention to cool blogs you are familiar with in order to get other people familiar with them and also to recognize peoples general awesomeness 🙂  [It also strikes me as vaguely chain letter-y with rules, but fuck it I’m a rebel who thumbs her nose at rules]

First, up the person who nominated me… Amanda of manda made it.  I met Amanda through our mutual sewing friend Jen… see below.  We bonded over our love of Colette Patterns and vintage patterns.  Amanda just recently completed a rather intense project…her third kid!  You should all check out her blog and the adorable vintage clothes she makes for her young’uns…. I mean just look at this shit!

Next….the people I nominate…. [Evidently, these people are then suppose to nominate others, who then nominate others and so on… Hence the chain letter-y aspect.  Please note if I nominate you you don’t have to do shit afterwards!]

Jen of Quest of Quirkiness…. I met Jen through our friend Elizabeth (see below again).  Jen is a totally awesome sewer… I am always impressed by her ability to draft her OWN patterns.  She does a lot of very cool cosplay stuff and corset making!

Next we have Elizabeth of humblehomespun….I met Elizabeth through work and she is probably the main reason I finally started sewing instead of constantly  talking about how I want to learn to sew 🙂  Recently, she has wandered into the fun and maddening world of EMBROIDERY!

Finally we have Constance of Yarning Over the Days….. I have never met nor really interacted with Constance, but I LOVE her knitting and her style in general!

And because this post is kinda wordy and dry…. I give you How I Celebrated Pi Day!

Be Jealous!

That right there is Quiche Lorraine and my famous (among people who have tried it) Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie!

Works in Progress

Long time no see, dear reader!  I’ve been very, very busy doing important things like reading the second A Game of Thrones book (and yes I know the series is not actually called A Game of Thrones), NOT cleaning my house, and other actually important things.  In between all that I’ve been slowly working on a few projects.

First up, we have the very slowest project:

This is my second Ginger skirt by Colette Patterns. Everything about this is the exactly the same as the first skirt I made, except different fabric.  You are perhaps noticing a theme? I’m kinda (….ok VERY) obsessed with Colette Patterns.  However, I’ve been dragging my feet on this project.  I could probably finish it in one good sewing session, but I just haven’t been feeling sewing lately.

That’s because I’ve been KNITTING!!

I’ve been making a lot of progress on this sweater and because I’m trying so hard to have it actually fit me I’ve been spending a lot of time at my local yarn shop.  I’m almost to the color-block scalloping section.  I’ve never done Stranded knitting before…. hooray for learning new skillz!  (P.S. Despite all evidence to the contrary, this is a teal and mustard sweater- the colors don’t photograph well for some reason)

At this point I was going to post pictures of the husband and I starting seeds for the Spring garden…… but that still hasn’t happened

So…that’s it!  Hopefully the sewing bug will bite again and I’ll finally finish that skirt 🙂