Ch-ch-ch Changes

Life is filled with changes, challenges.  Some good, some not so much.  During the winter, my mojo went missing.  I felt tired, sluggish.  A nasty virus attacked me, and then I was diagnosed with a lung disease, that causes me to be winded.  I can't go like a house on fire anymore.  But, I can still GO, and I'm learning my limitations and how to live with chronic illness. 

The end of February, my husband and I decided it is time to sell our home of 28 years and move from the island where we live to the mainland.  Although we both think of ourselves as young as the day we married, we are not.  Health issues are ever present.  Our interests have changed through the years, and our life is not here anymore. We want to be closer to our little family, not so remote and isolated.  We want to make the move together, while we're both able to enjoy making a new home for ourselves.  Some people wait too long, get too old.


Our home sold fast-caught us off guard.  Then the hunt for another house.  We found a sweet ranch in a great location.  Things are moving quickly now.  We have closed on our current home, and closing on the new one next week.  Packing.  One thing on our priority  was a place for my sewing room and husband's workshop.  There is a large family room/Florida room on the back of the house--about 15x40 which will become our play rooms.  Windows ceiling to floor all the way around.  Love.

I've been scouring Pinterest for sewing room ideas.  I'm taking my cutting table/cabinet and pattern cabinet with me.  I'll have another counter-top/cabinets built.  Lots of decisions to make.  Someday, I'll be in the sewing room again, happy and content.  Until then, I'll be reading your stories.

I'll be back.

My Favorite New Thing

A few webcasts ago, Peggy Sagers had a cute little pincushion--a Project Runway collectible.  When I saw it, I just coveted it so.  I started searching online, to no avail.  And then, one day--there it was on Ebay.  I couldn't believe it!  I bid on it, and was the only bidder.  I suppose that speaks volumes about my taste in pincushions!  I don't care.  It is wonderful and I love it.

This little pincushion holds a red tape measure on the side, and opens up to store notions.

IT IS MINE !!!

Episode 2, British Sewing Bee

It's up on YouTube.  Doncha' just love this show?  Real people handling real sewing problems. Plus,  you just have to love Ann Rowley, an 81 year old lady, who is so vibrant, and competing among younger people.

GO ANNIE, GO !!!

Wait For Me!!

I'm going with the rest of you to Bloglovin'!


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Back Up the Slide

Days go by where a lot of crummy things are going on.  Like mice in a maze, trying to find a way out.  And then, there it is--a way out and cheese waiting for you.  Yay.

The stolen credit card problem is over.  My laptop, with it's broken hard-drive has been replaced with a red Dell, which is great except that I've had to take time to learn Windows 8.  I spent the weekend with a Dummies book and reloading programs.  Win 8 isn't so difficult.  You just have to think!  We decided it is a good time to buy a new vehicle, and that's another good thing on my happy list.

The move.  Really, if you've ever entertained the idea of moving, rethink that.  It's an enormous undertaking for people who have hobbies.  Not only do I have an enormous amount of sewing related things, but my husband has model planes.  Not little planes, either, but with 8 foot wingspans.  And not just one.  The garage is loaded with them.  Plus the stuff he uses to build the things.  What are we going to do with all this stuff? 

But do I stop bringing more into the house?  Nope.  Instead, I found a couple of patterns to add to the crap I have to move.  But, at least at the moment, I get some pleasure from them.  I like this Vogue top.  It could easily be a jacket, and if I make it, it will be.  Except for the ties at the underarm.  I would be dragging them into food and drinks and getting tangled up. 

My Designer group's next challenge is to make a vest from B5772, view A.  We're supposed to use any technique we want to embellish it, whether it be paint, or a machine or hand embellishment.

I haven't a clue what to do with it.  While I'm thinking on it, I'll whip up a quick muslin.  Maybe an idea will come to me while I'm tracing/cutting/sewing the test garment. 

"And so it goes" (Linda Ellerbee)

On The Slide

There has been some bad juju around here lately.  I've learned that when one thing goes wrong to hang on  because there is usually more coming.

I made pants for our Designer group challenge.  I must have had my head up my keester when I made them because when I put them on to wear to the meeting, I found they were way too big.  Now, I did not lose weight, which can only mean I obviously wasn't paying attention when I fitted them.

My credit card was hijacked.  I got a notice from the bank that the card was used suspiciously and they blocked it.  I'm in Michigan, and someone in Delaware was having a good old time with my card.  Thank goodness for fraud protection.  A few years ago, after losing my wallet, I signed up for loss, theft, fraud protection at my bank.  So, that is being taken care of, but it still aggravates me.

Someone managed to get into my blog and send me some lovely porn.  I wasn't the only one to receive such beautiful gifts, either.  Another blogger posted about getting the same thing.  I changed my password and that should take care of it until another idiot hacks my blog again.

My computer's hard drive bit the dust.  My daughter is a  computer tech and she told me she could install a new hard drive but I would probably be having issues with that computer in another year or so.
I just ordered a new RED Dell laptop.  Rest in peace, Toshiba.

Meanwhile, I'm using my Netbook, which I'm so glad to have right now.  But, I don't have it loaded up with things like camera software, or my phone software so I  can't post photos unless I take the time to install those things.  I don't normally use this little Netbook at home, so I probably won't bother.  I do like it to take with me when I'm going somewhere because it's so small and portable.  I don't really need an IPad since I have this.  It goes with me to sewing meetings, because we're usually looking up patterns and fabrics, and I take it with me to babysit, or to Drs offices when I know there will be  a wait.

So that's where things stand.  I've been purging closets in anticipation of a move one of these days.  Our big walk-in is finished.  It's difficult trying to sort out what to keep and what to give up.  Especially since I don't know where we're ending up.  I keep telling myself it's better to do this now instead of 10 years from now.  Get it over with while we're both healthy enough to do something.  Hey, you will all be there one day--quicker than you think!

I did sign up for 3 Crafty classes while they were having a sale.  Craftsy junkie, I am.  I hadn't even watched S.Betzina's pant fitting class yet, but I bought PerfectFit, Plus-SizeSewing, and AlabamaChanin.  Lots of information when I'm ready for it.

Hopefully my new computer will get here quickly and even better if I have some photos of something, like sewing!

Look Around, I'll Be Gone

I want to thank each and every one of you who sent me such wonderful birthday wishes.  I do so appreciate your dropping by my little blog to say "hi".

As life changes, we must learn to go with the flow.  Some of you may know I live on an island.  We take a car ferry to and from the mainland.  In the last couple of years, the ferry rates have increased at an alarming rate, and now we will have 2 more rate hikes this year.  My husband and I have been talking about moving from here for some time.  It would be more convenient for us to be on the other side of the river, closer to our daughter.  My husband is not in the best of health either, and we're far from a  hospital.  It takes an enormous amount of time to ferry back and forth, not to mention the ridiculous rates they are now charging.  This last episode was just enough to give us the push we need to get our behinds in action.

So.  Our home is for sale and we are looking for another.  This has been a very hard decision for us to make after living here 28 years and loving this home that we built.  But, it is time. We want to make this move while we still have each other.  Certainly, we don't want to wait until one of us is alone and have to tackle this enormous task by ourselves.   I've started the agonizing process of cleaning out closets and tossing and taking things to the Salvation Army.  Any of you who have done this knows what a PITA it is.  I won't be sewing much for a while, although I hope to keep up with my Designer group challenges.  But until I get things in the house sorted out and more manageable, I can't spend much time at the machine.

But--I will still be reading and commenting on your blogs.  I will sew vicariously through you until I get things in order.  I may even pop in my blog now and then and put up some photos of our mess,  if only for my own diary.  I will be back.  Someday.

My New Sewing Cool Thing

Today, when I woke, I woke up with a different age number.  It happened while I was asleep.  Today, my medical insurance became old age insurance--Medicare.  I noticed wrinkles.  And aches in creaky bones. Fortunately I got my hair done yesterday, so it's still red!  Hooray for the little things in life.

Since there isn't really a good alternative to getting older, I decided I  may as well have a nice present to cheer myself up.  A couple of weeks ago, I told my husband that I would like an extension table for my sewing machine for this anticipated event.  It arrived today.  Just in time.

I'm enjoying sewing on this Plexiglass table.  No more squiggling around of cloth.  It makes me happy.  Actually, I had something similar years ago for another machine.  One that my husband made for me from wood and covered with Formica.  It worked beautifully too, but--it weighed around 100 pounds.  This is a guy who thinks nothing is good unless it's so heavy you can't pick it up, or screwed in so tight as to never be able to take a thing apart again.  His heart is in the right place.  His head is not.

This table I can move without the aid of a crane.  We will spend many happy hours together.  Getting older.

Tape It

Sometimes, I get excited by the simplest of things.  Like tape, for example.  When I'm altering patterns, or doing a bit of designing, I use a lot of tape.  And you know what tape does to pattern tissue or tracing paper when you try to remove it.  Rip. Tear.  I recently heard Sandra Betzina, in her pant fitting Craftsy class, mention removable tape.  I found some at Staples.  It has a light adhesive, like a sticky note.  Wonderful stuff for a temporary bond.  I tested it on pattern paper, and it will peel off without making a mess.  Good stuff.

On these cold Michigan winter nights, I enjoy curling up in my chair and do some type of handwork.  Watching Downton.  Or Scandal.  This is my current project--a black/white/gray ripple afghan.  Mostly because I had a lot of black/white/gray yarn and am trying to empty some of my yarn stash.  The nice thing about this is--it's covering my legs while I work on it.  When it's done, it's going in my car.  In these cold climates, one never knows when a blanket will be needed.  Just in case.

When I venture out into the frigid, snowy, frozen tundra, I buy patterns.  Like these.

I'm still working on pants.  There has been a lot of foul language in my sewing room while I attempt to fit them.  I have a pretty good muslin, but had a mental block when trying to transfer a couple of the alterations to the flat pattern.  It really shouldn't have been so difficult, but I couldn't get my head around it.  When I finally wised up, I made the changes and am ready to cut a pant. At last!  I will have those pants ready for the Designer challenge this month.  Do you hear me, Katherine?

Cell Phone Bag, Patterns and Fabric- Oh My!

Last weekend, I had a sew-in with a friend.  We had a good time, chatting and sewing, and she made an awesome Vegan soup for dinner.  A while ago, she made her own pattern for a cell phone bag that I admired.  For our sew-in, we both made that little bag.  It holds not only a phone, but has a pocket for license and cards and a clip to hang keys.  There's a D-ring attached to the top of the bag and a Carabiner to clip it to a belt loop,  or attach the long strap to wear cross-body.

The fabric is a crazy upholstery sample that has little tufts of thread that reminds me of eyelashes.  I love this little bag, and will make more.  There are many times I don't want to carry a big purse but need my license, a card or two and some money.  This will be perfect.

Jos has McCall and Butterick patterns on sale this weekend.  I'm working on pants for my Designer group challenge, and through a blog (I don't remember whose), read that ConnieCrawford's pant draft was good.  So, I picked up her pants and jeans patterns, and a couple of other patterns, as well.

It was my lucky day, because I found some decent fabric in their RedTag section.  Usually I find crap, but I came home with a really nice black/white/metallic stripe knit.  This knit is beefy-not the thin, wimpy stuff.  I also found a red knit, that's a nice weight for a drapey something.  The gray knit is thick, textured with a metallic in it.

My brown pants are still not sewn, and are waiting on a hanger.  I have nothing brown to wear with them, so I have to find a pattern and fabric to go with them once they're done.  Meanwhile, I decided I want to make jeans.  I'm using McCall 5894.  I worked on that pattern today, and have the jeans cut, machines threaded.  I'm using a yucky Jos denim for the trial pair, and have some denim on order from Fabric.com.  Or course, that's always a surprise too.

Sewing jeans tomorrow.

Alabama Chanin--Deconstruct Beautifully

I first saw this book, Alabama Studio Sewing  Design at a luncheon, where Katherine, of Room For Sewing was showing her copy.  She had used one of the techniques in the book as inspiration for a ruffle on a skirt.  After browsing through that book, I knew I had to have it.

Alabama Chanin is the brand of a very expensive clothing line sold at upscale boutiques.  The owner, Natalie Chanin, wrote this book of techniques and projects that the company uses for their garments.  The clothes are primarily organic cotton jersey and have a deconstructed, rough quality--raw edges, exposed seams, etc.  Garments are embellished with applique, reverse applique, fabric tubes, embroidery and beads.

This deconstructed way of sewing is something that I would struggle with, yet I find in fascinating.  I've seen the unfinished look a lot in the last few years, but probably to to the extent of the Alabama garments.  Since I seem to be drawn to it, I may try something on a small scale.

There are two other books by Natalie Chanin--Alabama Stitch Book and Alabama Style Studio.  I may have to give those a look, too.

My pants are cut and ready to sew.  But instead, I'm sitting here, doing this!

Sure Fit Pants Alteration

When I last worked on my SureFitPants,  the back leg was wider than I wanted.  I had pinned a 3/8" tuck down the center of the back legs from the ankle to the hip, which took out 3/4" of fabric.  The pant hung much nicer, so I want to take that out of the pattern.  Here's what I've done.

The grain-line on the pattern ran right down the center of the back leg.  I drew a 3/8" line on either side of that grain-line  which is same as the tuck I made on the trial pants.  I split the pattern on the grain-line from the ankle to the waist.

Next, I overlapped the pattern, matching the 3/8" lines, beginning a the ankle.  The overlap begins to taper  as it nears the waist.

I've taken out 3/4" in the back leg.  Doing this also removes a smidge in the hip and waist.  But, I have 1" seam allowances all around the pattern.  If needed, I have plenty of seam allowance to let out.

Palmer/Pletsch pant patterns have a 1" seam allowance all the way around the pattern--except for the crotch.  That makes it easier to drape the pant on yourself.  That method has always worked well for me, so I continue to put those wide seam allowances on most patterns.

Now that's done and brown fabric is ironed, ready to cut.  Tomorrow.

Hot Patterns Gift To Me

Gwen, of "In Over My Head" blog had several give-aways in December.  She wanted everyone who entered to win, so at the end of the giveaway(s), she bought those of us who didn't win their choice of Hot Patterns from a particular grouping.  How sweet is that?  I decide on this HotPatterns Plain&Simple Boxy Bowling Bag pattern.  Whew--that's a lotta' name!  Looks like this:

I like a structured bag, and this fits the bill.  I'm going to search the HP Website and PR to see if I can find photos of the bag, finished.  I'm anxious to try this one out.

Thank you, Gwen.

I was glued to the TV last night, watching Downton Abbey.  Some of you are having Downton parties, with tea and crumpets.  I am so jealous!  Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it without a party.  Tonight, PeggySagers is doing her bi-monthly webcast.  It's about knits.  Honestly, knits are more popular now than in the 70s when Stretch&Sew erupted.  I took a lot of classes at the local S&S store.  It was new, fresh and fun.  Now the variety of knits has expanded so that it takes some skill to know how to handle the various fabrics, their stretch and eccentricities.  Which you know, they have.

I'll be here with my face in the computer screen tonight.  See you there.  

Rose Messenger Bag

Lori has a couple of bag patterns that she's designed.  A couple of weeks ago, she had a give-away of bags and her patterns.  I won the Rose Messenger Bag.  She made it from blue and brown cotton prints, and it has a pretty little zipper flower on the front.  Lori has done very professional sewing on this pretty bag, and I'm so proud to have it.

She sells this pattern on her etsy shop here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/girlsinthegarden?ref=em  On blog, there are photos of the Rose Messenger in different fabrics, and her girls modeling them.

Thank you, Lori.  I will treasure this bag.

Crocheted Headband Ear-warmers

I like to have some handwork to do in the evenings, while watching TV.  Something that I don't have to concentrate on, but that keeps my hands busy.  Ann at EverythingSewing has been crocheting these cute little headband/ear-warmers.  I found the pattern link on her site, and have made a couple of them.

There's a flower, sewn on to the side/front, with a rhinestone button in the center.  The headband is about 5" wide in the center, tapering on each end toward the back, and it's fastened together at the back with a button and buttonhole.

This one is wrapped around a bowl,  because I don't have a head form.  The pattern is here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/AllYourStories   It's made with worsted weight yarn.  I put a strand of silver metallic thread in with the yarn so it has some sparkle.  Quick to make--I can crochet one in an evening.  Ann has made about 35 of these recently, sold them all, and I think has orders for more.  Evidently, they are very popular in Canada.

OK, my kitchen floor is dry and I'll get back to boring housework.