Crossing the Big Pond

Good travel. AC left and arrived on time. Mind you, first class looked amazing! Little individual islands of lie back luxury. For just another $998 (one way) I could have had champagne.

Flight was fine. Customs smooth. Found the bus (coach) easily and it was also a good ride. Hopped a taxi right away and got in the house without a hitch.

We have learned:

• That we have fed several cats who arrived in the kitchen through the cat door. None of them were our cat. 
• Walk facing traffic while on the sidewalk. It's prudent. There is no buffer zone between car and you. 
• Switches and plugs and just about everything is different here. 
• You can walk everywhere. 
• Women wear hats to weddings. 
• Everyone has an accent. 
• I'm very tired. We'll sleep well tonight. Just wondering who that will be on the bottom of the bed. Antique market tomorrow!

Pro Totes

I know. I haven't written in ages! It's not because I haven't had anything to say. I always have lots to say.

I'm writing on my iPad today. I am traveling soon and want to test run things before I go. I just finished a new bag for the occasion! I had made a Professional Tote and love it. It has all the right pockets and doohickeys in just the right places. But I found it a bit big for everyday use, and I want a daily packer.

The Professional Tote has a mini version, but I didn't have time to order the pattern and it isn't digital. I improvised. Taking the measurements of the mini  from the pattern description I cut down my full version. I'm no math goddess, but it worked! I also tried to reduce weight by carefully choosing what to interface with what, and using quilt cotton for all but the bag bottom.

It's (more or less) perfect! Where the bigger bag handles a laptop, this one takes my pad for a custom fit. Water bottle and umbrella pockets still work beautifully. The structure is firm without any extra weight. Well, maybe a little.

So here it is with it's big sister. It took me more than a week to figure out that I can't load pics from my iPad, so I went back to my Mac. If you know how, please share with me. Google does not want to recognize the Cloud.

Why can't these 2 just get along?

I understand Bloggers go through droughts. Hopefully mine is now over.

Just got back from the annual sister week of debauchery. We were in Montreal again this year, and the weather was perfect! This year we had coordinated nighties - blue and white - either striped or polka dotted. Many complaints about fit. They fit fine, but some bosoms may have been looking for a bust adjustment I've just never done before. Not my problem. They fit just fine everywhere else.

I had a day of fabric shopping to myself. I find that being on your own means other (single) people treat you differently. People at the commuter train speak to you and look out for you when they realize you're new. The Subway guy helped me to my seat and checked on my napkins - I was eating a meatball sub after all! It was a very nice day! I was shopping at many of the stores visited by the Montreal sewing bloggers the week before. I mentioned this and was told everywhere that stores were seeing spin off customers from that tour. Stores were pleased!

I went to buy exercise wicking fabric and shirting fabric. I stuck to that pretty well - with more money spent of notions than I had planned. Little things add up! I will probably stick to the more upper end stores for a bit now. If I have to lug, pack and pay for it I want it to be something special. Besides, I got excellent fabric for $15/m.

My stash does overfloweth.

For the last 2 days I worked on a shirt, using the Collette Aster pattern. I did a FBA, shortened the sleeves (long version) and ended up taking in the side seams from the waist down. I used a nice linen and that shirt went together perfectly! The instructions for the sleeve placket were perfect and easy to follow.

Now, I did deviate when inserting the sleeve. They wanted me to run 3 rows of gathering stitches and ease it in. Just say no. No, no, no. I used a strip of bias self fabric and sewed it to the sleeve cap just inside the seam allowance with a slightly longer stick. I pull hard on the bias as I sew and this eases the sleeve cap to the bias. The resulting cap has a nicely built in curve and pops into the sleeve armsyce easily. It stretches to fit or can be further eased by pulling on the stitching - rarely required.

As an added benefit I make the bias strip about 2" wide. This means I have a nice soft strip of fabric supporting the sleeve head and giving it some smooth support.

Now, to make this sewing experience even more perfect, I managed my thread with incredible skill (luck). I had 2 shades to work with and 1 was a better match, of course. However I didn't think I had enough of the good match to make it all the way through. There was topstitching, after all. I flipped both threads from bobbin to spindle - back and forth - finishing the last stitch (the last buttonhole!) with the actual last inch of matched thread on top. I even had the 'Check Needle Thread' on the machine screen.

I'm expecting a huge disaster in my future to make up for that.

Ah!There it is! Worst picture ever!

Buy Some Drano!

As I showered this morning I thought to myself - do these legs need the annual spring dehairing? Then I looked out the window and realized I had lots of time. Lots and lots and lots. However, can't you just imagine the clogged drains when we again catch sight of earth? Can't wait!

Meanwhile the search for the perfect pants continues. I picked up the Wallis pants pattern from Style Arc. I liked the style lines and thought the stretch might be 'fit forgiving'. First let's just say those are leggings, not pants. The fit is leggings for sure. I love them, but they aren't pants.

The muslins were not promising. DH pointed out the problem areas and made the serious mistake of wondering if there was an issue in the belly area. I've allowed him to live for now - but it was touch and go there for a bit.

I percolated on this thought for a day or two. I studied the muslins, the telltale folds and also (alas!) my belly. It seemed I did need a FBA. The dreaded Front Belly Adjustment! I had vertical folds from the crotch are up to the waist. The belly was talking more fabric to cover it and dragging all the pants with it. Extra fabric gathered at the crotch. After I added a little roundness to the pattern pieces at the belly bulge the wrinkles were gone. Now, I do have other fitting problems to solve. The front and back crotch curves fit but aren't distributed correctly. I had DH trace my outline onto paper so I could study my bumps and lumps. Next I will go back to my Wild Ginger software and draft some pants. I can make very fine fitting adjustments with that program and then they apply to everything else I draft. Handy! After the diet takes hold I can make changes as required (please, please, please).

Here are one of the 2 pairs of Wallis pants made so far. The other pair is gray and don't show up well. The Great P is waited with bated breath for me to wear these out in public. She has no sense of whimsy! It seems I do.

I've also finished all the embroidered blocks for my pup quilt. See those paw prints? There are 96 of them - 24 sets of 4. LD showed me a great trick for stitching 6 sets in one hooping. She is so smart!

Also, giving serious thought to a permanent kitchen couch. It leaves about 6 square inches of vacant floor space - but you stretch out with your tea, oatmeal and the paper. True comfort!

The Kitchen Couch

It snowed. Lots and lots. I won't show you pics of how impressive it looks. Just check FB or whatever. It's quite the event! I am truly blessed. I have a great truck with excellent tires and 4WD. I have a warm house with lots of fabric and thread. I have DH who has a snowblower and knows how to use it. He looks so handsome when his eyebrows ice over. Truly!

I'm more concerned with how to locate and excavate the garbage and green bins. Bins are filling up in here, and I'm becoming concerned. The future may be smelly.

OK. One pic. This is a sight we saw last week while shopping for the furniture. The sun and warm had been making some headway. I'm wondering what it looks like now!

We have a couch in the kitchen now. We ordered furniture for the adjoining family room, and that led to new paint, and that led to drywall repairs, insulation, drywall replacement and much sanding. Then there was painting (and that ceiling need a freshening too). The floor hasn't been refinished and wouldn't that be nice. We are really looking forward to that furniture!

Meanwhile I can see why people would put a couch in the kitchen. If you read any novel with a Newfoundland setting (try Michael Crummy, he's excellent!) they always have a couch. It's comfy, great for chats and perfect when you can't be bothered to move. It's also really close to the fridge. Very handy. I think in Newfoundland it's meant for those who have had a bit too much rum and can't make it home. Ooooo! I'd like to try that! And now I can!

Now I'm going back to my sewing. Next post will be on pants and the FBA for pants. I didn't know I needed one down there! It was a rude awakening. The diet begins.

Smile! It will help to melt the ice.

Yes, we have had lots of snow. Yep, it then condensed into a black hole of ice dams, driveway glaciers and snowbanks that will not finish melting until....maybe June.

But the snow as it falls has been beautiful! The cold has been sharp and clear! We have more sun time in our day and this too will pass! May as well be happy and enjoy the pleasure hacking at ice with a pick can bring.

DH is putting finishing touches on his workshop. The hockey table is set up and I am learning to play. It's exhausting! All that yelling at the goalie takes everything I've got! I keep forgetting I have to move him myself. You'd think he'd just know!

It's good weather for quilts. Here is my latest. I think it looks better in real life. I made it extra long so the top can tuck under and over the pillows. Just a whim! The top looked a bit blah until the Great P chose a wild variegated thread and a lovely loopy quilting pattern. She is truly one with the long arm quilter now! She did an amazing job and I love it!

The strip on the back was an experiment. Next time I won't centre it and I will have it go all the way to both ends. The strip was actually part of the quilt top, but it then wouldn't fit on the quilting frame. I did get a bit carried away.

 

So now I'm working on another embroidered appliqué quilt. This one is called Mixed Mutts. It's just fun!

So now I am working on pants - also known as "the impossible fit' challenge. Tonight's discovery is that perhaps I need to add fabric at the crotch to make it smaller and less wrinkly. I seem to have a frowny front crotch (note, the pants!). This 3D visualization is very difficult. My head hurts a little.

The pants are a Style Arc pattern (Wallis) I downloaded from Etsy. Easy, cheap and fit together perfectly! I had tried out the Barb free download and could not get them to fit me. They were huuuuge! This time, on a whim I measured that little square they tell you to measure for accuracy's sake. I almost always do - and I tell people to check it. The Wallis pattern had to be scaled down to 86% to get it accurate! Wow! I take back all those bad thoughts I had about Barb's pants. I personally know the Barb those pants were designed for, and felt terrible I couldn't get them to fit. I may just pop back and give them another go - if I can get that fitting frown to disappear, and not transition into the dreaded smiley alteration.

Wish me luck.

I Feel Much Sewing Coming On

JMN, take that! I have completed my January Block of the Month for Craftsy! How are you doing on your BOTM? I've seen nothing on your blog yet. What's up? Yes, I realize we are well into February and I'm only on January. I really do need to be a bit more prompt or I see disaster around the corner. Did you know we have TWO blocks due for February? I feel a bit panicky!

I decided to follow Jenny Beyers' directions. This meant hand sewing, template cutting and pressing after everything is sewn. I popped everything in a baggie and got some of it done on a recent trip to Montreal. I found the hand sewing relaxing and the corner matching was much easier! I can see why this is attractive to many people. I think I will follow her directions on assembly as it seems I will be trying lots of new things that way. Her videos are really well done and quite watchable!

I am not following her colour requirements. I just cut pieces from the half meters of batik I bought for this project. I don't have a background fabric designated and I don't include as many colour changes in a block as she requires. I will just cut as I feel and hope with fingers crossed that it all works out. She has you plop the block on the pressing mat and press from the right side, letting the seams fall where they may. I have never done THAT before, but it did seem to work beautifully. I wonder if this is only for hand piecing?

Now I am also working on a BOTM for Nancy Zeiman. She will also be introducing techniques and tools each month and the new block will be coming out on the 3rd. Saturday, so my homework will be staggered. Yah!

This month we did a Dresden plate block with strip piecing and alternating strip panels. The top of the panels were seamed to make a point and then the completed plate section was appliquéd with invisible thread. I got way too strippy on the panels. Perhaps if I measured before I sewed? She was working with 3 strips. I ended up with 5 to get the width I needed. If I had measured I could have made 3 work. Just wasn't thinking. 

Not too sure I like the invisible thread for the appliqué. It works, but I don't really like the look. Nancy hasn't shown us the whole quilt as Craftsy does, so I'm not sure how it finishes up. She does give you lots of ideas for using just that one block in many ways and advised pulling from scraps  of 3 colours (mine are red, beige and blue). I am using a colour for the background block - but I don't have that much of it and I don't know what I'll need - so this could get interesting. Looking forward to it! I made 2 blocks so I have options on completed quilt size.

I got the purse handles I have been waiting for in the mail today, so I will hopefully finish up my January purse this week and start my February purse too. This purse club is excellent, but I am going to need more days in the month. Many, many more days.

And I promised my SIN group I would sew clothing for me this month. We have dinner next Tuesday. 

If you're looking for me, I'll be in my sewing room.