Narrow Hems Are The Devil

So that's where I'm at today. I'm making a really simple top out of jersey knit. A really really soft jersey knit. (I love touching it so you can imagine how much I want to wear it.)

View B

Thing is that the bodice is all 3/8 with a narrow hem. Really hard on my eyes. Hems annoy the crud out of me anyway. Necessary, but annoying. I just want to sew pieces together!

Also annoying, if I have more than one of the same piece it always seems the first piece I don't usually have a problem with the hem or attaching the sleeve or whatever needs to be done, but I ALWAYS have a problem with the second one. I did the armhole on the first side with no problems so imagine my surprise when the second armhole didn't want to cooperate. This has happened to me with almost every garment I've done on my new machine. The first one always makes me go, "Oh, well that was easy. This will be quick." Doesn't work out that way.

I think I may need more deadlines in my life. I know that when I was trying to finish those St. Pat's shirts I was on a roll, but with no deadlines except Sept for our next Disney vacation I'm not pushing myself as hard to finish any projects.

Excuse the grammar mistakes, by brain no work right today. :)

Old Fashion Stare Down

Things have been hectic the last week or two so the sewing has been slow going. As I've said before I don't really have a space. My sewing stuff takes over 1/4 of the dining table and then the floor on that side all the way to the door. So if other things are taking up space on the table I have no space to sew. (Except the floor and that seems dangerous and, most of all, uncomfortable.)

I do however have a cardboard cutting/measuring board that I spread out on the bed and trace patterns and cut fabric. This means I have cut pieces just laying around staring at me. They are just taunting me with the simplicity of the planned projects, but the lack of time and space. I'm a fighter though so I WILL BE VICTORIOUS....hopefully like this coming week...if I can get all my ducks in a row...

Stash

For the majority of my "sewing life" I've always picked a pattern or project, bought exactly what I needed, and not had much left over. So that means really no stash. Well, with stress, boredom and, of course, my new sewing machine I now have a stash of fabric that I don't really have a plan for.

I tried to only buy for projects I had planned, but sometimes I needed to spend above a certain amount to use my coupon or get free shipping (I'm all about the free shipping) so I would get an extra yard or two of something else. Sometimes it was just on sale and I would think I had a plan for it.

Official "stash" status came with the box my mom just sent me with fabrics from her old stash. I spent this afternoon measuring it all out. Ten different fabrics, from about 1-4.5 yards, and six patterns.



Highlights:


One with farm animals on it (for an apron I'm guessing?),


one funky paisley (will make a great jacket/shrug),


a grey with navy stripe that reminds me of a baseball uniform,


and a pink print that looks like it was from 1985.

I have no idea what to do with the 80's print (big oversized off the shoulder tee with leggings and slouch socks?), but it just cracks me up when I look at it.

To top it off she sent a Hancock fabric gift card (don't have one near me, but can online order) so I can get even more fabric.

She also sent me a book from Amazon. Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using ANY Pattern by Pati Palmer and Marta Alto. Now I can figure out how to fit my fantastic boobs into patterns!

Spring Dress

This is the dress I've been working on.



It's So Easy It's Simplicity. (I hate when they pass up an opportunity for a good pun. Why not It's Sew Easy It's Simplicity?) It's also a size 16 because I bought the wrong package. I am not a size 16. That shirt I made for St. Pat's was a 20 because I made the rookie mistake of going by my bust measurement so it was too large.

This is how far I've gotten:



Like many projects before it the is a stall at the zipper. I know I'm just going to have to suck it up and put it on, but I'm just being lazy about it right now. I tried it on and it fits in a lot of places....except the boobs. Once the zipper's in I'm going to pray it zips up on my body. I have wonder-wear that may help it along.

Next up...one shirt, three different fabrics. That's the plan anyway. I have three different stretch knits that I'm making into the same shirt pattern. I know that's a little weird. I buy the same shirt in different patterns in off the rack too, drives my husband crazy (says the man with 15 different polo shirts).

Not Dead, Just Feel Like It

I just wanted to post that I'm still around and working on a garment. (A dress I think I may look like a sausage in, but it's good practice. And perhaps I will lose a few more pounds....hahahaha, yeah, right, sure, and maybe simians will aviate out of my posterior.) Thing is, without getting too downer heavy, I had a horrible cold and then as soon as that was over we've had problems with the selling of our house in TX. These problems have gotten me very upset and tense. And a little depressed and weepy (and a little gag-y). It's not just the house selling, but the money issues with moving and paying a rent and a mortgage. The credit cards have come out too often in the last month or so. Anyway, I'm sure God will help me endure and He will provide. If you practice religion I would appreciate prayers to help me with this difficult situation.

Easter Wreath and Kid Craft Boat

This past weekend I decided to finally do my Easter wreath for my front door. To be honest my front door has been naked except for a hook since Christmas. I was trying to do a St. Patrick's wreath, but I didn't like how it came out. I made this with things from my local Dollar Tree (with the exception of the spray paint).




The ring itself was a light beige, but I like darker colors so I spray painted the heck out of it last Friday. I had found wire rimmed ribbon with the festive egg pattern and wrapped it and ended with a bow (securing with hot glue at strategic points) and then using a pink wire rimmed ribbon folded in half to make a loop to hold it. Next I hot glued plastic fillable eggs and Styrofoam egg ornaments to the bottom. I glued them not only to the wreath, but to each other in places so if one comes loose it can hang on to another egg.

Second, our Kindermusik homework. We were sick last week so we missed class. I kept meaning to look in our lesson book to see if we had any homework, but it slipped my mind till earlier today. It turns out we did have homework. We had to make a boat. With no car and only what we had on hand this is what we came up with...



First we drew a triangle on a cereal box (it was about 6 inches or so) and a matching one out of construction paper (scrapbook paper would have been cute too). We probably could have used card stock, but I wanted something sturdier. I had Alex cut it out the triangles. At this point a more thinking ahead mom would have had their kid decorate the construction paper with markers or stickers (or stamps, or whatever). I was not that mom.

We then used tacky glue to glue the paper to the printed side of the cereal box. I hole punched a hole for the sail. Then I cut at all the points. Fold each side up and fold each corner over one another. I then cut off one of the overlapping corners and hot glued the remaining corner together. Now you have a triangle with sides, a nice base so no one goes overboard.

We then took a straw and put it in our hole. We cut ours to a little more than 5 inches. Secure it on bottom (I'm a hot glue nut so that's what I did). Then we drew a sail out of construction paper and Alex cut it out. This time I was a little smarter and I let him decorate the sail with markers. I think hole punched three holes in it. I cut the top of the straw at an angle because it helped it slide right though the holes. We are both pretty jazzed about it. It of course could be embellished and cleaned up a bit, but I like the made by a three year old charm of the rough edges and crazy marks.

Cranky Sharing Time

So last night was going to be like every other Friday. Some pizza and some flicks with my guys. Then I got the lame idea to go to Joann's because I didn't want to go into town this weekend and they were having a McCall's pattern sale.

As I've stated before, Joann's is pretty much all we have here with the exception of a high priced quilt shop. My mom used to work at Joann's when I was in high school (or college, sometimes it all bleeds together) and her and her co-workers were always helpful.

When I got there I saw two people working. An older woman and a "young" girl (younger than me). Another "young" girl arrived after I got there. I'm used to my Wal-mart back in Round Rock Texas where there was a woman always working that was really into fabric and helping people. Even at the Joann's in La Frontera they were kinda helpful. I know just from living here the last three and a half months that people in West Virginia don't believe in customer service. Like anywhere. Restaurants, stores, auto repair, anywhere. The Wal-mart greeters have frowns when you come in. Whenever I find someone that's helpful I go directly to them when I get where ever I am going. OK, whatever.

After finding my patterns and notions I needed I went to find someone to talk to about interfacing because I couldn't find the weight I needed. The older woman was ringing people up and the two girls were in the front of the store just yakking away. When I approached them they looked at me like I was interrupting their deeply important conversation. Then they really had no idea what I was talking about and weren't willing to help at all. Didn't even want to leave to go look at the shelf with me.

Then I find some other fabrics I needed and the older woman cut them for me. All the while one of the girls is yakking at her (instead of helping the customers that are lined up at the register or are wandering around looking for associates to help). I have no idea where the other girl is, but I'm confident she sure wasn't helping anyone.

I then remembered something else that I needed so I went to go find those fabrics. I come back to the table and there is finally someone else there (not in uniform so I don't know how anyone would know she works there) and she was good with the customer service, but she admitted she doesn't sew so she couldn't answer any questions. Frustrating.

Almost all the fabrics I bought were on sale, but I have an inkling I got mischarged on at least two. (So new rule, only go to Joann's when I'm bright eyed and bushy-tailed.) Then I had spent too much. I usually do a tally in my head while I'm shopping, but it got away from my and went from $40 to $90 awfully quick. (Damn fabric!) So, and I know how neurotic this is, I can't sleep because I spent too much money and I've given myself a stomach ache.

I know where I went wrong. I should have strolled in there gotten my patterns, my notions, and then only two regular priced fabrics for my two coupons and strolled out. No, I got over-excited like a new puppy (without the peeing on the floor, of course) and kept getting fabric. And, much like a puppy with an abusive master, I will keep going back to Joann's even though I feel like crap when I leave.

Just wanted to share...