July Sewing Projects & Miscellaneous

Simplicity 2554, View C

So far this month I have drafted a pattern based on a Hot Patterns pattern (basic trouser pants) for a wider leg dress pant with slight flare and side seam zipper, facings and no pocket. I made a muslin in a drapey ottoman weave polyester. Happily it is wearable and now can be the base for a pair of pants in a nice pinstripe (fabric just as cheap, but nicer! and basic black!!).

Luckily DH is away for a few days so I have had a few self indulgent sewing/shopping, evenings. I only bought ONE piece of fabric (stripe shirting at fabricland), one on-line pattern. Shopping my stash I found this gorgeous print that co-ordinated with my wearable muslin.

It is a lovely burnout rayon jersey tie-dye print purchased from the classifieds on patternreview.com -- I think the original origin is the now defunct fabric store from Textile Studios. It is very drapey, but stable and quite delicate. It was a perfect match for Simplicity 2554, view C and also fits my sewing goal of sewing more trendy items! Yay Me!!

The fabric was beautiful to sew. Because it was delicate, I chose a serged finish on the ruffles. Glad I did, as I needed the length (sans hemming) to form the cap sleeve. I think a cover-stitch hem would work as well. Choosing two colours of tan for the thread was a happy accident, but helps blend in with the colours on a print!

Here is a detail of the underarm gussett. This is NOT a one hour knit top pattern! Be prepared to gather the ruffles, baste them in place and pick out the basting. Anyway, I think it turned out cutely, no?

Besides sewing, I took a day off and took my sons to Canada's Wonderland. I go on rollercoasters, but my stomach (or inner ear) can't take the spinning rides any more! Sucks to get old!! Sorry abut the sideways pic above, but it is the newest coaster there, the Behemoth. DS #1 (13) went on it 3 times! I went on it once. 70ft vertical, you hit 77 kph in the first drop, with a great view from the top.

Progress on the Sewing Room

WAAAAH, my sewing room is still in progress! However, it is getting closer to completion. As you can see from the pics, the closet is in and the mirrored doors installed, and the walls are drywalled & primed. The shelf for my machines is ready to be installed

Really all that is left is some shelves for the closet, some open shelving for my e-bay pattern selling, patching some gaps and some trim. Also the pot lights have to come out and the new light fixture installed. Then painting! The door is primed & ready to paint, the coating is still on the glass window panels, but it is a 1/2 french door with textured glass panels.

I was lucky to be given a nice small entertainment armoire in a cherry finish for the room, and my hubby rescued a bookshelf from his ex's basement which will be perfect for my books and magazines. Probably 3 weeks to a month away from projects, but getting close!!

The Beginning

Well, I guess it's time to start a blog. My original opinion was that blogs are a bit of self absorbsion on the internet, but I have grudgingly come to admit that I have found other's blogs very inspiring. Not that I aspire to by inspiring, but it becomes a place to organize my thoughts.

This is basically my hobby blog about all things sewing. I thought it was apropos to start now because after sewing for 33 years, on my second marriage (to the good handsome hubby) and on my 4th house, this is my first sewing room!

I have had sewing nooks, part of a sewing loft, had to sew in my dining room and had a sewing corner for about a year, but now you can see the beginning of my first ever sewing room!

The finished size will be a luxurious 11' x 17', with a wall of closet space (for sharing with our camping equipment). I plan to have room in the centre for a cutting table, an l-shaped workspace with room for 2 machines side by side plus my serger, open shelving and perhaps some free standing cupboards. I have quite a large fabric and pattern stash as well as about 300 patterns that I have to sell on e-bay at any given time, plus notions, books, thread, etc. Here are some pics of HH with the drywall. The framing was graciously provided by my brother in law and his friend in exchange for a steak dinner.