Simplicity 4076

I made this wrap version of Simplicity 4076 for my friend Linda out of a lovely silky single span I got from Emma OneSock. The print on the fabric is a medieval tapestry of a man and woman and various medieval beasties. See the teal version of this wondrous stuff in my previous blog below. I think the sleeves are a bit long, but she likes 'em that way. Sorry the photo is so murky - my digital camera broke today and had to use a spare camera...

The Swinging Sixties

Here are some of my favorite 60's book and magazine covers...if only I'd known that bellydancing could shimmy me into the big time...

Yay! Fit for Real People arrived today!

I used to have this book. In fact, I had two copies. I think I may have given one away but the other one is on extended vacation somewhere. So perhaps now that I've bought yet another copy, the one on vacation will come back home. I am sewing some basic t shirts this week...here's one in progress.
It's Pamela's Patterns #104. It'll have 3/4 sleeves.The black paisley material is some cheapo jersey I found for $1.95 per yard at either Hancocks or JoAnn's. The neckband is black stretch velvet binding which I think is cut a little too short; Pamela suggests 20 1/2 inches for the length of the jewel neckband - I think it could easily be an inch longer if stretch velvet binding is used. I might just rip it out and start again. I did not bother to do an FBA on this pattern since I didn't have the Fit for Real People book last night when I cut the t shirt out. But that's okay - it's a sort of wearable muslin to see how bad the chest area looks without an FBA.

Suzanis and Molas - Textile Heaven to Me

I have recently acquired a charming little mola of a toothy cat - everytime I look at him I have to laugh, he's so silly with that curly tail! Molas are bits and pieces of Panamanian and Guatemalan applique'd embroidery; they're very colorful and usually have many many tiny stitches sewing the layers together. The subjects of modern molas can be just about anything the artists have been thinking of - two pears, abstract birds, lightning bolts, a comment on Mickey Mouse, etc. This little guy measures 9 inches by 10 inches.
I also have a passion for Uzbek suzanis - suzanis are large silk embroideries usually done in panels that are then sewn back together. This one is from Bukara, a city which has long fascinated me, and measures 85 inches by 60 inches. Many suzani are red flowers of different types sewn on a background of cream or white. Pomegranates figure prominently as do rosettes, carnations and various other flowers from that part of the world.

Isabel Toledo Pattern

I found a lovely Isabel Toledo pattern the other day; it's not even close to my size but I'm a big fan of hers so I thought, why not?

Ignorance...?

I know I've ignored the blog for a week or two. I've been busy attending memorials for the relatives of friends of mine. Four friends have lost members of their families within the last month: Jen lost her mom, JoAnn lost her dad, Linda L lost her mother-in-law and Linda S lost her beloved grandmother Rose.
Today we had a memorial party for Rose at the house - it was a pleasure to honor this lovely, fiery-eyed woman by celebrating her life with her child Doddie, grandchildren Lisa, Laurie, Lois and Linda, great grandchildren Jennifer, Eli, Sabrina, Matt and Luke, and great great grandchild little Rosie!
Today was a sunny, sparkly day. The breeze kept us cool in the sunshine, and the leaves on all the trees (even the bamboo) fluttered and flickered in the bright light. The kids ran themselves crazy all over the property playing hide and seek, exploring the wilds, and laughing with eachother. The grownups congregated on the front deck and enjoyed the time spent together.
God bless you, Rose! In my mind's eye I see you smiling.

The Ins and Outs of Freaky Obsessions

Lately I have become obsessed with cameos and intaglios and have acquired a few from a guy in Germany. This one is "Diana" the next in lapis is "DAEMON with lion-body holding a palm-branch and a amphora" (well, that's how he described it on the eBay listing) and the cameo is soon to be a centerpiece for a macrame neckpiece done in black cording and black swarovski crystals.

The Line, the Witch, but no Wardrobe

I've been kept busy creating more bracelets for a project - it's kind of a secret right now, but I am waiting to hear some good news from my agent concerning it - so I have been unable to focus on sewing the new wardrobe I so desperately need. I did manage to order some chocolate colored bamboo jersey for one t-shirt from Wazoodle and I got some absolutely gorgeous buttermilk from Emma One Sock, but my energies have been directed elsewhere for the time being.

Ministry of Magic, Department of Tourism

Vibeke and I found Platform 9 and 3/4 at Kings Cross Station last summer. Alas, it wasn't September yet, so we couldn't pass through the brick wall to get onboard the Hogwarts Express...so we went to York instead and found Mad Alice Lane. If you think she was mad before, she's actually quite peeved now...
I half expected all the little carved faces in the York Minster to call out to me in their scratchy stone voices¹, but they remained silent. The poor fellow with the crow on his head was having a particularly difficult day.




1 Read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell by Susanna Clarke for explicit details.

Pigs in Space!

A few years ago I attended the Annual Avalon High School Prom. The theme that year was something to do with science fiction, or perhaps space or ummmm, I don't really remember...Anyway, I went as Lwaxanna Troi, sort of....
Here's my friend Jay as Link Hogthrob from Pigs in Space!
Hey! Today is May Day! Happy happy! Joy joy!

Micro-macrame bracelet

Last month I purchased two micro-macrame kits from the Ben Franklins over in Redmond. I finally got around to making a bracelet from one of the kits. I think the bracelet is a great beginner's bracelet, however the directions are a bit wonky and would be hard to read, for a beginner at least. It was interesting trying to do someone else's design; I haven't done that since I first learned micro-macrame some years ago.

Moonbeams and Zig Zags

I've been busy micro-macrame-ing this past week and have come up with a bracelet I call "Moonbeam"

Here's a start on an old standby of mine called "ZigZag" - I love the triangular beads with their subtle rainbow scaling.

And here is a prototype I call "Loopy" that isn't quite working for me yet...

Master Hoodwink

I've been busy making more owl prototypes for an upcoming project. Here is the latest one, Master Hoodwink. He and his little purple friend are earring-sized renditions of the 70's monstrosities that flocked to covered patios and took roost in guest bathrooms across the nation. Master Hoodwink is like Master Chalk (from Gormenghast) who is albino, I think.

A few weeks ago I made a couple of these punch needle sheep cameos for the fun of it. Most punch needle items are too country kitsch for me, but since I'm an Aries, I'm drawn to sheep. Her background is composed of multi-colored sewing thread, the embroidery stuff, and her face is plain old black sewing thread. Her body is plain old cream-colored sewing thread.

Micro-Macrame Rules

Managed to keep the critters off my lap long enough to knot both sides of the bracelet - just need to close it off. Also made another pair of Ottobre leggings for Rosie, this time in tie dyed blue - groovy!

Overalls are All Over

I finished up the overalls jumper for Rosie. So many sniggly little details to attend to: sewing a button on the yo-yo on the front chest pocket, adding a snap to the side opening (had to do that twice since the first one fell right off!) adding D rings to the shoulder straps. Then I realized the shoulder straps were too long, so until Rosie tries it on and we can determine how long they really need to be I knotted them over the D rings. Today or tomorrow Rosie should be getting the first package of clothes I made for her - she and her mom live in Portland Oregon which is a little under 200 miles (322 km)south of Seattle.

Work in Progress

I've been working on a micro-macrame bracelet this weekend and it's going slowly since I've been distracted by one hundred and three things, including needy cats who MUST sit on my lap or the world will end, phone calls, shopping trips, breakfasts, loads of laundry... Normally a bracelet takes me about 4 hours to complete. Alas.

Cool Micro-Macrame Kits!!!

I was over at Ben Franklin's Arts & Crafts Store in Redmond at lunchtime and found these coooool Micro-macrame kits! Wow! I'm thrilled that the Beadery is now putting out micro-macrame projects - even though these look like they'd be difficult for beginners. The word is spreading...

More Tiny Togs

I was busy over last weekend working on this top for Rosie. It is McCalls 5135


I like how the bottom portion is basically a square with a round hole in the middle. The fabric I used is a pink tie dye satin with sparkles glued on the front surface. I was worried that the sparkles would be too scratchy on the portions where the fabric is folded to the inside (arm and neck openings) so I sewed ribbon to the insides of those areas so Rosie wouldn't get all scratched up.

I've also been working on an overalls dress for Rosie, with some yo-yo embellishments on the pockets. The idea for the ruched pockets I got from a woman's jacket in a recent Ottobre women's patterns magazine. The pattern for the overalls dress is an OOP Simplicity pattern - I don't have it in front of me now so I don't know the number - as if that might matter!

Take Me to the Cashbar

A couple of years ago I was fooling around with my digital camera and decided to try on some of my costumes to see what they really looked like:


It was then that I realized gold was definitely not my color unless I wanted to look like I had a size 60 chest...

Cozy Rosie

Tonight I made a pair of tie-dyed pink leggings for Rosie from Ottobre January 2007's Capri Leggings pattern (#17 in the magazine). They're not exactly capri since they look full length to me...but that was the name of the pattern.

Rosie Clothes

I've been busy sewing clothes for the 6 year old daughter of my best friend's niece, and here are some of the results:
A "Dutch-style Pinafore Dress" from Ottobre magazine(May 2006); a long sleeved t-shirt from Ottobre's Creative Workshop 301 set of patterns; a pair of capris made with some nifty Paris-printed stretch poplin, Simplicity 5655 (Sadly,OOP. I have another 4 or 5 pieces in the works - when I'm finished they'll be shipped off to Rosie who lives in Portland. I hope she likes what I've made for her...

Daylight Savings Time

Here's a sign of our times found yesterday at the Goodwill - a stylish clock put out by the pharmaceutical conglomeration responsible for Levitra. It must have been tossed out by a doctor's office. Perhaps it clashed with the Cialis calendar or the Viagra teddy bear in the reception area. My question is - shouldn't it be a 36 hour clock? Isn't that stuff supposed to keep a man capable for a day and a half should his intentions be postponed by unwitting in-laws or neighbors keeping him apart from connubial bliss? At first I was attracted by the unique style of the clock, then it hit me that it was a marketing ploy for an Erectile Dysfunction drug. I am undecided whether I should pop it open and replace the clock face, or just leave it the way it is and celebrate the wonders of better living through chemistry...

Margaret Layton's Jacket

Well, I have been the world's laziest bum recently, letting project after project pile up. Here is the inspiration for my Jacobean Jacket, which I have cut out and finished the edges of, but haven't sewn together.

Margaret Layton's jacket is in the V&A in London and I had the good fortune to see it not once but twice last year on my two visits to the UK. I had little interest in the Jacobean era before, but was totally mesmerized by the floral embroidery...instant conversion!

Here are a few pieces of my jacket - as you can see it has princess seams which are not in any way period, but since Margaret Layton was about a size 4 or 6 and I am a size 22, it works out good for me! Additionally, I haven't the patience to embroidery much of anything these days, but I found a piece of Jacobean-esque tapestry material at the Goodwill recently and yelled "Dibs!" on the spot.