Halloween

We had two Halloween parties to attend this year. Because most of my friends have kids, we did the adult party on Friday night so that on the actual Halloween night we could do trick or treating with our kids. My husband is Biker Dude. The tats are all fake but look great. Needless to say, I danced my little toes off and had a great time. My mother was here to watch the kids.

We took several cheesy couples photos before we left.

This is Amy Winehouse being naughty. My husband is so patient.

Here's me after I've had a bit to drink. Do you think I could be smiling any wider?? The doctor is not nearly as into this photo as I am. Part of it is that my hair is all over the place. Like my tats? It's one of those tattoo shirts.

Ginormous hair. The back combed it to within an inch or its life. And, it's really, really, really hard to get that much eyeliner the same on both sides. I figured the worse it was, the more realistic is really would be for ol' Amy.

I made myself leather arm bands to hide the ends of the tattoo shirt. I just cut two strips of leather and added copper snaps.

The finished (almost) mitten

Here is mitten #2. It is slightly narrower, has a smaller thumb, and used ribbing (good idea Donna!) for the cuff. This is just random ribbing from the hand-me-down ribbing box.

Here's a comparison shot. #1 is on top and #2 is on bottom. It's a bit misleading though because #1 was originally longer with a much longer thumb. I altered the pattern for #2 but may have made it too short.

Here is the first pair of real mitts. I used Polartec 200 for the main part of the glove and pink rib knit from the random box of rib knit.

Why does she look like a rapper?

In other news, I made my first patch today. I used the Urban Thread's tutorial posted on their main page. I used this pirate ship pattern. It was free a month ago or so. I used Bling 'n' Beauty glue so we'll see if it stands up to Rough 'n' Rugged. I can't find any Patch Attach. My JoAnn's doesn't carry it and they don't know what I'm talking about when I ask about it. They do have it on the JoAnn's website. My patch edges aren't perfect but they are fun to make and The Boy creates many holes.

The Prototype

I've been working on a mitten prototype for my girls. I started with this Green Pepper pattern. The original pattern is for overmitts and the linings that go inside them. I have made those mittens many times but I wanted something a little smaller for the girls. I narrowed the sides of the mitten and added a cuff. This is a scrap this fabric from this Jalie sweater top.

Here are my modified pieces.

Here's the problem. This fabric makes cuffs that are too bulky. I'm going to try with a thinner knit. My original plan was to make the main part of the mitten two layers; fleece on the inside and wool on the outside. But, that would add another layer to the cuff area. I'm still trying to figure out what to do. The thumb is too long also.

Here's the original pattern piece for the hand/wrist.

Here's the model. It fits but I'll make it better. Expect to see more of these tomorrow.

Another Fleece Hat

Remember these? Here's another with a slight variation. I turned it RST and sewed the corners instead of adding tassels. The embroidery is from Emblibrary.com. I love my color combination of green, pink, and orange.

I have to remember to put labels on the back. My girls keep putting them on backwards. Funny, yes? Safe, no. I'll add sew-on labels to the back of the other hats I made. If you put them on backwards, there is a tiny little hole (neck hole) and they can't see. I'll try to take a picture next time. It's hilarious.

Burda 09-2009 #109 Pleated Trousers

This is item #9 of my wardrobe contest entry. The only thing left is my Chanel jacket. It's been sitting on my duct tape double. I'm not quite ready to tackle it yet so I think I'll do a bit more kid sewing first. I was unsure if these would be flattering when I started making these trousers last weekend. They are finished and I really like them. They are pleated at the hip without being huge, they have roomy pockets, they fit well, and I love the color. And who says I can't mix stripes and stripes and more stripes? If it looks stupid, just don't tell me. :) Oh, and the belt, that's Burda #151 from a few months back.

The nitty gritty. These trousers have side seams pockets, back shaping darts, and a single pleat in the front. They are made from RPL I found at Joann's. This fabric is on sale right now for, like, $3.49/yard. It washes well and it comes in good bottom colors. I sized down the pattern to a 36, my standard Burda size on bottom.

You can see the side seam pockets mostly stay shut at the sides when not in use. I am standing funny because I realized that all my other back photos had the belt above the waistband and looked funny. In this one, I realized it at the last second and tugged the belt down a bit.

Here's a front photo without the hands in the pockets. Can you tell it is windy? It's been really warm for October; but very windy the last few days. It hasn't snowed yet and it's currently 43 degrees out.

I used a dark gray RPL for the facing and pockets because I didn't have enough of the pinstripe fabric.

Here's the side seam pockets.

I know, I know. You aren't supposed to use a catchstich to hold down the facing but I like the catchstitch and it's effective.

The inside of the side seam pockets. I didn't read the Burda directions here so I don't know if I did it their way but it looks nice.

The cuffs. I never realized I was so short compared to the Burda models. I actually tried to use their markings for the cuffs. I had pants that were waaaay too long with 3" heels. I think I cut off about 3" and made the cuff a little bit larger.

Here's the inside of the cuff.

Next up?? I think kid sewing. My kids need mittens and I know a woman who can sew.

Early Morning Sewing

I managed to squeeze in some early morning sewing this morning due to my running being cut short by two bull moose fighting in the cul-de-sac. It sounds pretty dramatic but they were just pushing each other back and forth with their antlers and grunting. Seeing as they are much bigger than me, I decided to stay the hell out of their way. They were not huge bulls. They were about like these two bulls in this Anchorage-In-Pictures picture. I did snap some photos with my iPhone but, alas, it has no flash and it was 5:45am. I probably wasn't in any danger. At one point I was running and was about six feet away from the closest one. He just looked at me and went back to eating. The only thing they care about this time of year is female moose and other male moose who they see as competition. These two were hanging out together and feeding. Then, their hormones would kick in and they would grunt and push on each other. If you have not seen moose spar, grunt, and wave their antlers around, you should watch this:

ETA: These are not the moose I saw but they were about the same size and doing the same thing. This video was taken in Wyoming, I think.

My girls were gifted he Columba hat on the left and I really liked how it fit their heads. So, I decided to copy the design and make a few more. The one on the right is one I made out of microfleece.

This is the back.

Here it is on. Girl #1

And here is the other one I made. I love how it covers ears, some cheek, and chin on Girl #2. It took me all of about 15 minutes to trace the original hat, 15 minutes to cut, and about 30 minutes to sew and most of that was the tassels. It's a cute pattern and I'll make a lot more.

Did I need these?

My local fabric boutique is having a big sale. They are getting rid of all their Vogue patterns and are selling them off at a whopping $1 a piece. I couldn't resist these fantastic vintage ones. Did I need them? No, probably not. Do I love them? Yes.

This might be my halloween costume for next year.

I probably would never make this. My chest is not my best feature.

This coat I love, love, love.

This is cute.

This would be a cute dress but can a flat-chested girl pull it off? Maybe, but maybe not.

I love this jacket.

I love the diamond details.

I love this whole set. Love the dress. Love the coat. Love the wrap blouse.

I really love this dress. I'm confused though. The back says to use jersey, linen, or crepe. I can easily see this in a knit but they recommend a knit and a woven?

This is very cute. I can see this at knee length.

Burda 07-2009 #107 Trampy 60s Dress

Remember this cute little ditty from July 2009 Burda? I knew I would make this before the year was out. You'll notice the collar looks significantly different than this one. Let's, cough cough, call it a design element.

My original idea was a 60s go-go girl. I got a wig but it's much more Amy Winehouse. Should I put in a headband of the same fabric? Hmmmmm, some modification to the wig will be necessary. It's a very bright sunny day so I couldn't look at the camera without my eyes watering. And it's only about 34 degrees out so there aren't that many outside photos.

Obviously, it's for an adult party. Even then, we'll see if my husband lets me out of the house in it. I did leave a deep hem so I can let it out a couple inches if I need to.

This is a petite-sized pattern in size 17. I did a swayback tuck for the bubble-butt and then ended up taking it in about 2" at the waist at the CB seam. I love the pockets.

So do you see the collar issue yet? I put the damn thing on upside down!!! When I noticed, I had already topstitched it, attached it to the dress, attached the facing, and topstitched that down. There was no way I was picking out all that. The part where it overlaps should be the neck edge. The real CF is at my CB. It's still the same distance so it went in smoothly. It just means the collar points are a bit lower and sorta point upward. I did make the collar larger by extending the points of the collar piece before I cut it out.

It has sleeve facings and neckline facing. All of which, surprisingly, went in very easily.

I did one kickass welt pocket and one okay welt pocket. This is the first time I've done them in the front of a dress like this. I've only ever done them on jeans.

I used a very bright orange zipper from stash.

When at rest, it is hard to see.

Here are the boots I finished last night.

Even with all my practice, it's still hard to make the stitches even. Although with the shortness of this outfit, I'm not sure people will be looking at my boot stitching . . .

Vinyl Boot Alteration (I love Halloween!)

Why, you ask? Why in the world would Dawn be altering boots? Can one do that with a sewing machine?? Yes, my friends, you can. You just need a leather needle, a rolling foot, tear-away stabilizer, vinyl boots, and a load of patience. See these boots? My husband gave them to me as a gag gift a few years ago. Yes, they have killer 6" heels. And actually, they are pretty comfortable to wear. I have a costume to show you tomorrow. It goes with the red boots. Tonight, though I thought I would show you the alteration of the boots. First, I cut them off two inches above the knee (I want them to be knee-high boots).

Then, I unpicked the stitches that held the vinyl to the zipper. I also removed the zipper stops and repositioned them at the new "top" of the zipper. All you need for that is some needle-nosed pliers. See the underflap? That is a thicker piece of vinyl that I shaped easily with my scissors. Then I just folded under the vinyl and used a zigzag stitch to "hem" the boots.

I used a 110 leather needle with my leather rolling foot. I also sandwiched tear-away stabilizer between the vinyl and the machine bed so it wouldn't grab.

Even with all that, it is hard to get even stitches. All of the stitches shown below are of the same stitch length. When they are closer together the vinyl was getting bound up. When I grabbed it and started pulling, the stitches got farther apart. This is my test sample.

Here's the back showing the stabilizer.

I'll show the finished boots tomorrow along with the dress that goes with it. Here's a sneak peek. Anyone? Anyone? It's a Burda pattern and it's only a few months old.

CAbi Fall and Winter Collection 2009

If you've never been to a CAbi party you should go. They are like Tupperware parties but for Carol Anderson clothing. The clothing is nice but expensive (for me at least, I'm cheap) and it's fun to look at your friends dressed in something that is totally not them. I never buy anything at CAbi parties but it is fun to hang out with my friends and try on clothing. The consultant knows I'm only there to pick over details and she always tells me that maybe I should go and design for Carol Anderson. Yea, as if. I always tell her the same thing. I'm a workhorse, I have skills, I can copy, but I CANNOT design or be creative on my own. I am not an artist. For me an artist is someone who creates using their own ideas. I always use a pattern. If I change it, it's because I've seen that detail on something else and want to copy it. And, I'm not looking for "Dawn you ARE an artist!" comments. I come from a family of artists (woodworker, potter, silversmith) and what they do is way different than what I do. So here are some excerpts from the fall and winter line. I did like a bunch of the details. I sit and draw while she is doing her presentation.

First up, this cute pair of pants that was made out of a very thick bottom weight knit suiting. It was very interesting to touch. It had a bit of stretch. The details in the back where cute too. It had a notch at CB, seaming lines that ran down each leg, and a little buckle in the back.

I loved this vest/jacket thing . . . until I tried it on. I love the colors on it and I love the design on other people. I think it was too baggy in front and that kind of threw the belt off. It just looked too big and made me look very flat chested. Which, of course, I am. This is why I sew my own clothes.

There was a very cute t-back vest (far right) that I really liked. It was more slouchy than fitted. I think this Simplicity pattern is the same back but the CAbi vest is much loose; made to be worn open and flowing. The wrap dress (second on right) was made out of a beautiful fabric. It's an orchid purple with navy and black accents. You could totally use the Jalie wrap top pattern for this.

Hmmmmm, there are more but my scanner has decided that it does not want to work. More on this later.

Burda 08-2009 #121 Pencil Skirt with Pockets

I did get my hair chopped last week. The back is much shorter. Not as short as the reverse mullet but short enough to give it quite a bit of body. Here's item #8 of my Wardrobe Contest entry. This is a cute pencil skirt with pockets and fun seaming. I had some issues with the hip area but I got that straightened out after the photo shoot. Of course, it's a black skirt so you can't see too many details.

Here it is off the body. I could either use the flash and fade out all the details or be in focus. I settled for the slightly out of focus pictures because you can see the seam details.

After I took the photos I saw these tugs around the butt. I fixed that by letting out the side and CB seam just a little bit. The back section is straight so I made a "pocket" for the ol' derriere. Part of the bump on the right side is the invisible zipper.

When I cut this I only had enough material to cut the yoke in two separate pieces. So, there should not be a seam in the waistband or the CB yoke.

The bottom back has a small open slit for walking ease.

Review coming at PatternReview.com later tonight.

Pillowcases for "The Sisters"

Some of you probably remember the post from a while back where my son insisted on calling his sisters, "The Sisters." Well, The Sisters and The Boy all sleep in one bedroom because their mother is a selfish human being. We have a bedroom downstairs but it's my sewing haven. There is a bunk bed in the kids' room and The Boy sleeps on the top and the girls sleep together in the bottom bunk. My husband and I both agree that it would be a shame if the mother of this household flipped out one day and went crazy. Therefore we think it's a good idea for me to have a sewing room. Sewing is my therapy. Without sewing, I get a titch bit loony. Lately I've noticed that when my son goes to bed the girls have gotten his pillow off the top bunk and are cuddled together on it. I figured it was time for the girls to get their own pillows.

So, I pulled out all of the girly-pinky-lacey-frilly fabric (my girls loooove pink and lace) and put it in a big pile. I found this fantastic tutorial online for the pillowcases. Yes, I know it is super easy but this tutorial shows you how to do so the only raw edges are at the side and bottom of the pillowcase. It's kinda cool. I'm also adding it to my favorite links to the right.

I ended up with this . . .

. . . with orange rick-rack . . .

. . . and this with lace.

This is the inside of the first one. The line of stitches is there only to hold on the rickrack. I love how you get a finished edge on the inside.

Ahhhhhh, I love me a quick, cute project.

Chanel Jacket 6 - Sleeves, trim, and other stuff

First off, I want to say thank you for all the support with the moose posts. I also want to apologize for the rant. I try to live my life by not getting involved with negative people. I really think they bring everyone around them down and I won't let myself get involved with it. Uck.

On with the sewing, shall we? I've been playing with the trim and figuring out how to apply it. I know the couture method is to hand sew it. There is no way I could handsew all of the trim. After my last couture jacket where I thought I was going to chuck it out the window, I am going to take shortcuts on this one. No it won't look like crap but there is no reason (unless you like to) to handsew it on. I just happened to have a matching gold in my thread stash so I tried zigzagging it. The blue trim already has matching stitching running down the length. I found a guiding foot that works to make my own stitches along their stitching line. And no, I won't use gold. I wanted to make sure I could see it and the gold was already in the machine.

Here you can see the original blue stitches with my gold ones on top.

Here's the finished trim on the sleeve.

The sleeves are on. Aren't these just great? I can never get jacket sleeves to set-in without puckering. I'm either awesome or this pattern is just drafted nicely with little ease. I'm leaning toward the later as the reason for these un-puckery sleeves.

I also ditched the zipper in the front. Instead I sewed in some hook and eyes. I love the zipper idea but with all the trim and crazy boucle I wanted something more discreet.

Hopefully today I'll get the pockets cut out, trim put on, do a final fitting, and, and, and. I'm a compulsive list maker and I often give myself too much to do. I think I'll end there. We'll see how much I get done.

Kid Jammies

Remember these from my September 6th post? Holy cow, I put these off for a long time. I had to stop making them because I ran out of waist elastic. Then other things like meat and mothers got in the way. I think they turned out pretty cute. Check out the other post for close-ups of the embroidery. This is KS 3234. It's a pajama pattern that I use for all my kids' t-shirts and pull-on pants. I'm only on the second smallest size right now so I'll get many years out of this pattern. I made five pairs. One is for my son and the other ones are for a set of twins. How strange is this? I have a core set of college girlfriends that live in Anchorage. Out of the group there are two sets of identical twins and a set of fraternal twins. One was my roommate in college and the other was my next door neighbor in college. Tainted water? All three of us had twins within nine months.

All I gotta say is . . .

really?? I understand people not agreeing me or supporting me with the whole moose thing. But, really, let's not get ugly about it. Just because you don't agree with something someone does, you shouldn't attack them or the people that do support them. I mean, really, are we 12? Jules? Really? I would write you specifically but, strangely enough, your profile isn't available. Sort of makes it nice for you to shoot out nasty comments anonymously.

If you don't like it, don't read it. But really, I'm writing this post to ask you to stop attacking my readers. Insult me all you like. I'm a teacher, bring it. But, leave the readers alone. Let's put our big girl pants on, here.

Sorry you have to read this rant. People who think they are better than everyone else irritate me a bit. We all have different customs, values, ideas, etc. I don't agree or like what everyone else does but I would never assume that I'm a better person than they are because I do something differently.

Ugh. I'm stopping now. Sorry again. Sewing coming up later tonight. Promise!

Oof-da

We are finally done processing the moose. We have an entire freezer of meat. Like, really, we had to go buy a freezer for this moose. We now have two freezers in the garage. And that is not uncommon for an Alaskan. Most people have at least two freezers in the garage. We finished on Sunday, cleaned on Monday, and then my husband left for the slope yesterday. It's been a crazy-hectic two weeks. I'm hoping things will settle down a bit this coming week. I have some thinks to crank out and I haven't been able to even get in the sewing room because it was occupied with my mother.

Here's my husband with the Cabela's meat grinder. We add fat to the moose when we grind it for burger. Moose has virtually no fat in it and will just crumble if you try to cook it as burger by itself. The white stuff you see below is beef fat that was added to the moose.

We also made 150 pounds of sausage. We bought the seasoning packet from a local business. The mix is okay but we've made better. This time though we didn't have the supplies on hand to mix up our own batch of seasonings.

Here's the grinder set-up. It's right next to the gun case. Can't have one without the other, eh?

We have an old ping pong table that we use for a makeshift table. We put it on sawhorses. The black bucket is trash and the white bucket is for scraps that will be ground into burger.

I thought this was pretty cool. My husband made this magnetic knife holder. He bought the magnets at Ace Hardware.

I'm hoping things are about to get more relaxed . . .

Burda 06-2008-105 Cap Sleeve Blouse

Not a lot of sewing going on here. I finished this blouse a few days ago but with work, moose, and children, I haven't gotten to post it. This is item #7 for the Wardrobe Contest. I have made this top before. I liked it so much I made it again. I wear it a lot as a layering piece. I will often wear it over a turtleneck, long-sleeves t-shirt, or dress. This is a silk-cotton blend from the fabric coop.

Here's some topstitching detail . . .

I used my fantastic Necchi buttonholer attachment.

I hope to finish some kid jammies this weekend but it may not happen. On top of moose butchering/processing, my mom is here. The guest bedroom is the sewing domain. The sewing domain is pretty small to begin with so extra suitcases and things don't make it easy.