New toy for blogging, and jeans progress

I got a new toy this weekend!  Its a respectable camera so no more lousy bathroom mirror shots for me.  I am still working out the kinks and the little icons, but it has a good autofocus (usually), a good timer that you can customize to take as many pictures in a row as you want and it fits on my cute little tripod!  Although I really need a better tripod, I was setting up and it occurred to me that I might not want to put my $200 camera on a $20 wobbly piece of plastic.

The first pictures were well focused, bright and pretty true to color.  But, they were aimed too high!  Cutting off the bottom 3" of everything!
It shows the shape of the shoulders and the texture of the quilting.

(Did I mention that I love this jacket!  It wraps around like a soft cocoon.  I am super happy with the lining.  The silk charmeuse underlined with fusible tricot has the perfect amount of body and softness, and the pop of color is perfect!)

Back to the camera:

Then I switched from portrait mode to automatic and it changed the Fstop.  The texture changed and it focused more tightly on my face, but that zipper is too fuzzy.

I used to know my Fstop and shutter speed settings, back when every 6th grader had a great new 35 mm SLR.  I guess its back to photography for dummies.

Did I mention that it is WiFi enabled and can send pictures through my home network?  How cool is that, my neighbors can hack into my camera and track my pants fitting progress!

Lovely!

I am making good progress on the pants as well.

I've got 4 pairs of jeans, 3 of which are shown here:

I have the fly's, and the front pockets done.  I used Stitches and Seams technique by Debbie Cook.
I just like the simple, straight forward way she walks you through it.  However, I didn't topstitch the edge of the left front, it seems a little extraneous to me if it's all one piece.

The blue and jade are from Emma One Sock and they are denim that is mostly cotton, but it also contains nylon and I think a touch of poly as well as lycra.  Its a strange combination and it runs a but thin and it shows in the lighter color, so I'll be hitting the gym before debuting those in public!

The top pair of jade pants are the perfect shade of jade for the pantone contest this month on PR.  If contests were the guaranteed absolute death of a project, I would swear my allegiance right now.  For this contest you need a coordinating garment that also showcases those pantone colors and the silk charmeuse that I lined the leather jacket with is a perfect match!

So, if I were actually entering the contest and wanted to pick a project to condemn a garment, I would pic a relatively new Style Arc pattern like Style Arc Patsy top with that lovely flounce.  I would cut it on the bias since its a woven being forced into a pattern for knits.

That is if I were entering the contest which always jinxes my sewing, but I'm not so I won't!

The discussion is over, until I get the garments finished at least, then I might mention it again.

Quilt Festival Finds!

Good thing I have done a bit of sewing and whittled down my stash lately, I really scored this weekend!

That TDF marbled silk is from a guy out of Austin and it will make a stunning sleeveless shell to go with darn near anything! It especially looks good with that navy plaid that I am going to make a skirt out of. I want to use that McCall's pattern and make the sides and the backflap on the bias.
http://www.cosetteoriginals.com

I also hit up the Kia scissors booth and had to fight my way through the crowd. I bought a pair of micro-serrated scissors that I can't wait to try on that silk, and a new rotary cutter for leather.

I also found my favorite European Textiles importer again and did some serious stashing. I grabbed a nice long skirt (under the

scissors in the pic above) this fabulous silky cotton shirting in dark navy and really nice gray plaid with pink. All are the perfect winter weight for Houston winters.

I also grabbed a silk flower necklace that I will share later, and a haul of vintage shell and brass buttons.

Well, got to go for now, I'm supposed to be working...Shhhhh...

Continuing My Skirt Kick

I have fallen back in love with the ease of skirts!

I love how super easy they are to cut, sew, fit and wear. Not to mention the fact that you can get one out of as little as 3/4 yard of fabric!

Up next is Vogue 1092 Tracy Reese pattern.

I am using the very last piece from my stash from the Houston Quilt Show from 2008. What sounds like an excuse to fabric shopping to me!



I am not crazy about the length, I would prefer either above or below the knee so I will start by adding a couple of inches.

The Marfy 1659 Dress/Shirt saga continues on and on...

I did get some sewing done last weekend, I spent a lot more time than I expected just doing the hong kong finish on the seams. It sure is easier if you haven't sewn the shirt together yet!

As you can see below, I used the seam binding to finish the edge of the neckline, and I stitched it down about 1" from the edge. I finished the back of the collar by turning it to the inside of the collar and handstitching it closed.

I bound the seams of the armholes and the side seams as well. I used silk organza as an underlining for a little body and opacity. It works perfectly, but boy does it make the SA's itch!

This only leaves the finishing of the sleeve hems, the buttons and buttonholes and the hem.

You would think that would be easy to finish those few things, but I plan on planting my fall garden this weekend and I am not sure about the hem length yet.

In the mean time, not finishing the last project hasn't kept me from stashing!

I have a fabulously soft navy wool plaid for a skirt, and a luscious animal silk jersey from EOS.

Muslins, muslins

I had such high hopes for a 3 day weekend, and I did get some sewing done.
I got more naps, and some cooking, but I didn't even really do any sewing until today.

I have started my exploration of dressmaking by actually making a muslin... thank goodness.

This is Vogue 1183 (I can't get the link to work). It really doesn't work on me, not even close! Even in a different color, the cut isn't going to work.

I got to leave work early Fri. and picked up some great fabric at High's and I think that I will use with this other dress pattern. The pattern is Vogue 8280 which has gotten rave PR reviews.

So, should I go ahead and cut it out with that blue wool/silk blend for the skirt (3/4 yd remnant), and that fabulous gold and cream cotton for the top?

Or should I make an ugly muslin in gray wool that has no body or shape that makes just about everything look horrible?

Even when I weighed 50 lbs less I could never wear all one color head to toe; it always looked horrible so I really think that it more to do with my height than weight.

Oh, I have one more muslin in the works. It is a trench-dress that Kay Y traced and sent me from one of her early 2000's BWOF. This is the top:

the skirt will be A-Line, and I plan on making it out of a dark red cotton twill instead of this too-crisp linen...

More Stash!

I broke down and went fabric shopping today. I originally went for buttons but I didnt' see anything that I liked better than what I allready have.

So, in order to not waste the trip, I picked up this pretty silk jersey (little thin, but nice) for a top. It will nook nice with brown or khaki pants.

I also found some super soft Sea Island Cotton knit in a dear soft blue so I got enough for 3 Tshirts.

They also had the best black denim with a soft firm texture and only 2% stretch denim, so I got 4 yards of that. I really want to make a black jeans jacket and some cool black jeans.

As for that shirt, I spent about an hour writing my review, so remember *really helpful*. I still have to get pics with the buttonholes and buttons, once I get them done. So I should get it posted by about Wednesday...

Is is just me or does the entire weekend get wasted grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning?

Suitings Bought by Touch

I have well calibrated fingers. After decades of hanging out in fabric stores, I can pick out the 150 thread count wool cashmere blend with my eyes closed. Fabirc shopping by braille has resulted in some strange color choices...

The top brown stripe is Pantone 18-0403 which goes with nothing. Funny story though, I got the original piece in 2003 and made a really nice pair of pants but no jacket. A couple of years later, the rest of the bolt magically reappeared at the fabric store so I bought 2 yds for a jacket. By the time I got around to making the jacket I had outgrown the pants... Now it is stranded in my stash.

The purple on the left is an incredibly soft fabric that I have 1 3/4 yds of that goes with nothing. I envisioned a lovely suit-dress, or spring jacket with gray pants, but the grays are too dark, and I can't find any more for a skirt. Its Pantone 19-2514 with a shadow stripe woven in.

The fabric on the right is from the Houston Quilt Show in 2008. It is actually olive green (Pantone 17-6206) Wool Cashmere blend that feels incredible. This fabric will probably become pants shortly. If nothing else, I can wear them with a white shirt!

No more shopping with my eyes closed!

Shirting Stash addition du-jour

I was out for more silk organza yesterday and they had some nice shirting remnants. They are pretty nice pieces, but short:

The top cotton shirting is twill, 1 1/8 yd of 60". This should be enough for a summer shirt.

The bottom cotton is a beautiful white jacquard with green stripes. 1 1/2 yd of 60" which is enough for long or short sleeved.

The aqua on the right is another piece that I unburried. It is cotton shirting w/touch of lycra.

Shirting Stash

More shirt fabrics from my stash:

The top fabric is a fabulous, beefy silk jersey from EOS. There is enough for a long sleeve top.

2nd is silk charmeuse from Universal Fabrics in Rice Village in Houston. It was the lining for Vogue 1126, and there is enough left for maybe a short sleeve shell.

The purple with the gray dots on the left is silk charmeuse 45" - 1 1/2 yds for a silk lining.

On the right bottom corner is a substantial silk twill from EOS, I think I have 2 yds of 55".

Top of the second picture is fabulous, light silk twill from EOS. It also has some pink in it, but a huge repeat. I think that I have 2 yds of 60".

Next is a light weight silk jersey in black and beige. I have about 2 yds of 45"

One more group of solid-ish cotton shirtings. Left to right"

White twill with a diagonal line woven in from Farmhouse Fabrics. 2 yds of 60"

Pink birds eye from Universal Fabrics 1.75 yds.

Red fine check from Universal 1.5 yds.

Dark red irridescent from Universal. 2 1/2 yds of 60"

Black and white Irridescent from Universal 2 1/2 yds of 60"

The Upside of Sewing: Stash of Dreams

I love fabric shopping! It is better than going out and buying clothes because you get that shoppers high from the fabric, the pattern and even the buttons.

I just love good fabric, the softness, the texture and the pretty colors.

This section starts with a blue and brown check which I love but goes with nothing else.

Aqua and gray stripe cotton from EOS (less than 1 1/2yd)

Pink, blue and white fairly heavy with cross grain stretch.

Wide stripe yellow and blue, summer weight w/slight jacquard.

Pink and gray stripe that I have laid out for a shirt already (one of those Marfy's, 1895)

I am not just showing off, I am putting pictures in a place where I can find them so that when I am looking for inspiration, or new fabric, I can just look here and see what I have.

Next Section,

More blue than you can stand!

Still more blue, noticing a trend?

The top is a super sweet twill that I got from Farmhouse, it won't be stash long.

Second is actually pique like a birdseye.

Last is a silk/cotton blend that I think is 50/50. It is super soft and a touch sheer so I will have to deal with that. Maybe I will put pin tucks in a bib front or a yoke.

I will post more later. I am suprised by the challenge of getting good fabric pictures, my hats off to the professionals!