Sunday, December 31, 2017

Top 5 Reflections & Goals 2017


I'm finishing up this sewing year with some thoughts about 2017, and some of my goals for 2018.

First, some general reflections.

I was pretty busy overall this year with many things, and so didn't have tons of time to spend on my sewing. I really missed it, and need to stop getting so involved in unnecessary time-consuming things. As Danielle LaPorte says in her book The Fire Starter Sessions,



I also looked over my goals from last year, and I have semi-accomplished most of them. I did sew more from my stash this year -- I've only bought 2 new pieces of fabric in the last 3 months, for example, and both of those for specific projects. I've been enjoying finding forgotten treasures and using them. 

I watched a couple more of my Craftsy classes but then I also bought one more so I guess I'm still at the status quo there! But related to that I have kept learning new skills and finding new areas to fascinate me. And I did update this blog a little.

The one big fail from last year's goals was that I still have not made my husband anything at all. I have a Vogue waistcoat pattern adjusted to his size but have to cut a muslin and try it out now! Is that a 2018 goal? Maybe an unofficial one ;)

Photo by Mark Claus on Unsplash

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So after a year of uneven levels of sewjo and time to create, 2018 is going to be ALL about making.

Here are my 2018 Goals.

1. Analyze my personal style so I can streamline my pattern and fabric choices for the most efficient use of time and resources

2. Related: reorganize my sewing area. It's a mess right now, even more than I can stand with my high levels of mess tolerance ;)

3. To inspire myself, I joined in the "50 Yard Dash" sewalong challenge on PatternReview. The goal is to sew 50 yards (or metres) of stash in 2018. I like this challenge because it fits in with my desire to use my stash but is open ended enough to suit my dislike of preplanning!

4. I also joined the "Dress A Month" sewalong on PatternReview. Since I mostly sew dresses I feel that this will keep me on track schedule-wise with something I already love doing.

5. Spend more time on my textile arts projects -- my new obsession and something which is very creatively fulfilling.


Bonus: Enjoy! Don't feel guilt about sewing time, fabric or pattern stashes etc. Just enjoy creating.


Photo by patricia serna on Unsplash


Friday, December 29, 2017

Hits & Misses of 2017

Once again this year I'm joining on the Top Fives hosted by Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow. She's such a great inspiration in the sewing world, and this idea of hers is a great way to round off the year.

So here are my Top Five Hits and Misses for 2017. 

First off, my hits! Even though I didn't sew as much as I wanted to, I did end up with some wonderful pieces.

The "Cat's Away" McCalls 7534
I made this as a project for Fabricville and just love the fun print and the comfortable wearability of this dress. I've worn it a lot since making it!


This was a real challenge which I took on during the Monthly Stitch's Indie Pattern Month. Using the Moneta bodice, the Lindy Petal skirt, and some fabric gifted to me by a friend's mom, I ended up with a dress that I just love.



McCalls 7597
Colourful, cheery, comfy - I've worn this a ton, and had it complimented by visiting authors when I wore it at our local literary festival :) Pretty good for a dress which made me think of Jane Austen...!



Tropical Cambie
My third version of a favourite -- this one made of some great thrifted fabric. I love the way this pattern fits.




Carnival Rose Dress (Simplicity 2927)
This dress turned out to be the perfect choice for my Literary Sewing Circle project, in so many ways! I haven't had too much of a chance to wear it yet as I finished it in late fall but I look forward to getting more wear out of it next year.






And my top 5 misses? I find it hard to choose these as they end up being mostly unfinished projects. But there are a few pieces I never really warmed to, through no fault of their own, poor things!


Red Simplicity 1919 skirt - I just haven't worn this. I think because I made it in a hurry, and because the fabric is quite stretchy, it just doesn't fit quite right. I can get away with it but it's not my most comfortable or favourite wear.


Butterick 6182 - I find this birdish dress sweet, adorable, and a bit too tentlike to feel 100% comfortable in. Maybe I just have to adjust to the silhouette but it doesn't feel quite like me at this point. 



New Look 6185 - I didn't wear this top a lot; I think the neckline is too big and shifts around annoyingly. It's not terrible but not the first thing I reach for in the summer.



KwikSew 3757 - This knit dress is comfy, fun but just not very flattering to me. I don't feel good in it. So haven't worn it very often at all!





Top Five Highlights

1. The Literary Sewing Circle -- I enjoyed starting this readalong/sewalong this fall -- and in related news, being a guest on the Clothes Making Mavens podcast to talk about the Literary Sewing Circle was also tons of fun!



2. My Mom's visit in May!


3. Winning a prize in the Monthly Stitch Indie Pattern Month contests for my Washi



4. Finishing my first little art quilt - which I haven't really written about yet but will

This is one corner of it....

5. And... Joining the planning committee for 2018's PatternReview Weekend which is going to be right here in lovely Stratford, Ontario next year! Hope to see you here!


Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Little Black Christmas Dress

Happy Christmas - even though black is so hard to photograph!

I unintentionally made a little black dress for Christmas! Well, because it wasn't really made FOR Christmas as much as AT Christmas. And then I wore it to our holiday dinner.

I have been feeling that I needed a basic black dress that could be dressed up or down for work or events for a while. A few weeks ago I was rummaging through my stash and found quite a lot of a lightweight black matelasse knit that I'd completely forgotten I had.

a bit fuzzy but an attempt to show you the texture of the fabric, at the yoke seam
And in addition, someone had asked on PatternReview if I'd ever made my TNT t-shirt pattern (KwikSew 3559) in dress format as it was originally designed to be made. Nope, I wasn't sure a dress would suit my figure. But when I saw this fabric I thought it would be a perfect match. So I tried it.

Wow! This dress is fabulous! It has no waistline, but neither does it hang like a sack. It's fitted but not too much so. I *love* it. The only flaw is that I didn't add side seam pockets as I wasn't sure about this fabric being able to support them, so I'm going to add on some patch pockets instead, now that I know I love this in dress format.

You can really see my glittery tights in this picture!

If I use a slightly heavier knit with a bit more body next time I'll probably add the side seam pockets. There always have to be pockets in order for me to really like a dress ;)

I'm glad I tried out my favourite pattern in dress length. The only change I made was the same one I make when using this as a tee -- I cut the neckline at medium and grade to large between the waist and hip line. I did the same for the dress but followed the large all the way down and didn't flare any extra at the bottom. It turns out that this is exactly the basic dress I was looking for. Hurrah for TNT patterns!







Friday, December 22, 2017

Hello & Happy Christmas!

Hello all my dedicated readers who may be seeing this post, after long silence! It's funny how you may be sewing and reading about sewing but yet not posting and days and days go by....

Feeling like I need some of this festive magic potion to get moving!

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I finished the Literary Sewing Circle in October, got really busy, started some non-garment related sewing, then Christmas loomed, and lo and behold, I haven't posted since the end of October.

Whew! I don't know where the time goes!

I do want to wrap up this year with some sewing chat, so my "Best Of" posts are in progress and will be shared after Christmas.

I also want to let any interested readers know that the Literary Sewing Circle was so much fun that we will reading another book together soon. Plans are to announce the title and reading schedule in mid-to-late January. Stay tuned!

What have I been keeping busy with? Oh, bits and bobs...like these embroidery pieces:

This is a self portrait I stitched, using navy blue
 Gutermann sewing thread over organza and cotton

And this is a Christmas gift I've just finished -- I can post it now
 because the recipient doesn't read my blog ;)

And I've actually made a few garments that I just haven't got around to posting about yet -- it's hard getting those darn pictures when it's grey and snowy outside!

In any case, here's to a wonderful sewing year ahead for all of us, and wishing you all a peaceful holiday season with some time to relax and enjoy the lovingkindness of fellow humans on this earth, something that feels like it's been in short supply this year.

I'll leave you with this. Merry Christmas!




Monday, October 30, 2017

The Carnival Rose Dress




I have just barely made my own deadline for posting my Literary Sewing Circle project! I sewed all through this rainy weekend to finish off my design, which I'd laid out and cut last week.

This dress has many inspiration points from Something Wicked This Way Comes. I decided to go with one of the quotes I shared in one of the earlier inspo posts:

"In a chair by the fire mother knitted and hummed like a teakettle...His mother's fingers twitched, her mouth counted, the happiest woman he had ever seen. He remembered a greenhouse on a winter day, pushing aside thick jungle leaves to find a creamy pink hothouse rose alone in the wilderness. That was mother, smelling like fresh milk, happy, to herself, in this room."

I have had a length of vintage rose print cotton in my stash for quite a while -- pink and red roses on a black background seemed to fit this book & this quote well. But I know it's vintage as it was only about 36" wide. Thankfully I had nearly 3 metres of it so after trialing a couple of designs I found one that would fit onto this narrow fabric -- nearly. I would have to make the neckband and linings out of a coordinating fabric.



I chose Simplicity 2927, a 60s influenced style -- also suitable since Something Wicked This Way Comes was first published in 1962. I got this pattern in the pattern swap at PatternReview Weekend in Chicago so thank you to the anonymous sewist who donated it!



Then I espied a 1/4 yard of black and white polka dot cotton in my stash & thought it would be perfect to use for the neckband. It adds a fun Carnival flair!



I also used the polka dot cotton for the pocket and sleeve linings, but had to use a plain black cotton for the underside of the neckline, as I ran out of dots. I used up quite a lot of my stash making this dress! 




I'm pretty happy with it -- vintage roses and dots, on a black ground, with a 60's feel -- says Something Wicked to me! 


The only thing I'm not happy with is that somehow I missed the extra inch I needed to take out of the bodice length when measuring everything -- if it was one inch shorter above the waist, it would sit more comfortably and have less extra fabric pooling at the small of my back. Oh well, it's good enough to wear and I know to adjust the next time I make it.



I think it's a fun and easily made pattern with some neat details, like the pockets and the two piece sleeves (love those). The pattern construction was easy and straightforward, though I had thought on first look that the pockets were inseam ones. They're actually topstitched patch pockets (though I think it would be pretty easy to make them inseam ones if you wanted to). The buttoned neckband is cute, and comfortable. This pattern is a winner for me.

Really recommended -- I think it would make a fun winter tunic in a softer fabric as well.



Thursday, October 19, 2017

Literary Sewing Circle Link Up!

It's time to share! Sorry for the delay in getting this link-up posted -- please share a link to your Literary Sewing Circle inspired creation below. We'll keep this link-up open until Oct 31, so you have lots of time to finish up your inspired make and share it.

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Friday, October 13, 2017

Literary Sewing Circle: Final Book Discussion

 

You've made it! We've turned the last pages and digested the story, and hopefully you have an idea of what you are going to make from the inspiration you found here.

Today we'll discuss our overall thoughts about the book, drawing out what we liked or didn't about it, and maybe even hint at our stitching plans?

See some questions below to get us going... most are thanks to some reading guides online, with a couple of my own additions at the end. Always, add your own thoughts and questions in your comments so we can all talk about our reading experience. 



Would you like to go for a spin on the Merry-go-Round? Which direction would you go? Would you risk it?

I'm not sure I'd risk it... although I did spend an evening this week going through a lot of old photos, and that did make me feel a little nostalgic about my youth, and how young and lively I looked in some of those old pictures. But I wouldn't really want to give up what I have now for another run through. I don't think.

Why do you think so many townspeople were drawn to the carnival? What are they seeking?

I feel like there were so many things that attracted people to the carnival -- everyone had their own reasons for regret and hope for a do-over. Mr. C feeling nostalgic for a long-gone cotton candy scented childhood; Miss Foley for youth and romance; even Mr. Holloway wants restored youth and vigour like that of his very young son. It was how Mr. Dark could twist these desires that was so interesting.

Bradbury’s book is nostalgic, but can we still connect to that nostalgia? Do we experience the book as earlier generations of readers did?

Even though I love this book I do feel there is a certain innocent nostalgia that our more cynical selves might find a bit quaint these days, at least to some extent. The glorious boyishness and innocence of Jim and Will's desire to be grown up, to be their interest in adult relations etc. seems very young to the modern eye. I'm not sure we have the same kind of response as original readers might have, but I think that this book still holds up and that there are many concepts that still provoke thought, contemplation and curiosity.

The male characters of the book, in the beginning at least, are all looking forward or back to a narrow sliver of time as the prime of their life. Why, in Bradbury’s nostalgic America, is maleness ripe for so short a span?

I liked this question, found in a reading guide, because I think it captures the essence of this book. It's really about nostalgia for boyhood and being that ideal young man. I think it's probably Bradbury's own fascination with it that shows; in Dandelion Summer, another book in the loose "Green Town" series that this book is part of, the heavy scent of nostalgia for boyhood is the entire theme. I'm not sure why the golden age for these boys and men is so short though.


There are a couple of moments in this book that can be uncomfortable for a modern female reader -- Lori commented in our last halfway-through discussion about "Will's Dad and his thoughts about that time of day ("..a living death...), the immortality of women through their children and what is perceived as a carefree existence because they don't have to worry about having any other accomplishments in life. It's a very provocative concept." In another section, Will's Dad seems to conflate gossip with the source of the Pandemonium Shadow Show's darkness as well as with "women" in general. How did you read these comments? Were they something that bothered you or did you read them as part of Mr. Halloway's character, or of the era?

Of course, I disagree with both of Mr. Halloway's ideas about women's immortality through their children and their predilection to gossip. They both reflect the maleness of Bradbury's world, and especially the era in which this was written. The dismissal of women as people with an equally rich inner world to those of the Halloway men, father and son -- the depiction of them as entirely focused on home and relationship -- I think that it's obvious there is a lot more to life than that. I found Mr. Halloway not entirely sympathetic both for these comments and for his self-pity about being "old". This element didn't ruin the story for me, but it was a little nudge and reminder to watch for these things and to be conscious of the author's perspective in a story.

And Sara asked in our last discussion: "Did anybody expect that the actions of Mr Dark would ever be reversed? For example, Miss Foley. Did anybody expect she would ultimately be rescued in some way?"

I have to agree, I had thought that Miss Foley would be rescued by the boys near the end. She had been so developed as a character I couldn't picture her just disappearing forever. It does give a sense of finality to one's poor decisions when everything isn't magically fixed, even if the ringmaster is taken down. Kind of a terrifying thought these days, really.


What about you? What did you think of this book? You can answer these questions in the comments, or just talk about what you want to about your reading. 
 




Friday, October 6, 2017

Literary Sewing Circle: Inspiration of a different kind

Now a little bit of inspiration for this book from a different angle: some video viewing to give you a sense of how others have interpreted this book.

First off, let's take a look at how Something Wicked This Way Comes inspired a new musical just written and debuted:



Then you might want to listen to Ray Bradbury himself speak about the original 1983 film, and how he wrote the screenplay for his own novel, and his reaction to the initial viewing. Quite fascinating.




And then if you wish, you can watch the 1983 movie right here:




And if you're all full up of delight after all this you can still watch an hour long lecture Ray Bradbury gave on the art of writing. If you're thinking of doing NaNoWriMo this year, this is good prep!




I also hope you are all thinking about your reading. Be ready to share next Friday on our final discussion day for this novel! Our link up post for our projects will go live shortly after that final discussion post. Keep reading!
 

Friday, September 29, 2017

Literary Sewing Circle Project Plans


How are you coming along with your sewing plans for our readalong/sewalong to Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes?

I've been having some difficulties narrowing down my inspiration to decide on a project. There are so many colourful, evocative images in this book that I could go almost any direction. I'm leaning toward an outfit echoing some of the library imagery in this book, with a vast world of places and ideas just pouring out of the stacks.

Like this vintage Gaulthier dress on Etsy

Or this library print from Modcloth

But then again, one small throwaway line near the beginning has somehow snuck into my consciousness and won't let go. When Jim and Will first see the handbill for Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show, and run home in the wind and the dark, Will enters his house to find normality:

"In a chair by the fire mother knitted and hummed like a teakettle...His mother's fingers twitched, her mouth counted, the happiest woman he had ever seen. He remembered a greenhouse on a winter day, pushing aside thick jungle leaves to find a creamy pink hothouse rose alone in the wilderness. That was mother, smelling like fresh milk, happy, to herself, in this room."

His mother is the antithesis to the longing and darkness in the rest of the book; she isn't tempted by Cooger & Dark's carousel. This small image of contentment with knitting and domestic comfort all rolled in is quite appealing. A rose printed shirtdress perhaps? A cozy warm cardi? Lots to imagine.


Like this Kate Spade rose print shirtdress perhaps?


And how about you? Do you have any solid plans? Any inspiration posts you'd like to share? If so, drop them in the comments and we can all take a look. Happy Reading - and Planning!


Friday, September 22, 2017

Literary Sewing Circle: Discussion Day



Are you halfway through Something Wicked This Way Comes yet? Do you have opinions? Today is the day to start talking about our responses to the book.

Here are a few questions to ponder today and for the next week or so -- and please feel free to leave your thoughts whenever you can.

I'll add some of my own thoughts and you can riff off of them or add your own impressions. If you want to hear other takes on a part of the book that you found either wonderful or annoying leave your own questions in your comment, too. I hope you are all enjoying it!




1.What did you think of the writing style?  Did it take any effort to get used to it? Do you like it?
 
I love Ray Bradbury's writing style; his excessive use of adjectives, wildly creative and sometimes opaque metaphor, the snap and spirit in his stories as they rush along. I know it can seem melodramatic or over-the-top to people who prefer more clean, sedate writing, but I think it suits his themes so well. This novel is less baroque than some of his stories, though -- a little tighter. I generally read through the doorways of character and style though, so perhaps that is why I like it so much! (if you don't know the four doorways of reading, as outlined by Nancy Pearl, check it out here: I think this is the easiest way to determine what it is you like in your reading experiences, & I use them every day in my library work!)

2.How do Will and Jim’s surnames and birth dates provide insights into their character? Do you think this was evocative, clever, too obvious...?

I like the way the two boys are so similar and yet slightly differentiated by their day of birth -- Halloween for one -- and by their names. Jim is a darker character and his name, physical description and fascination for the more adult things in life are all tied together. It could be considered a bit obvious, but it seems the whole book is a bit heightened when it comes to character description and development, so I think it works. You may disagree, though!

3.What do you think of Mr. Halloway's relationship with Will? What role do you think his occupation plays in the story? Or, a related question, what is the significance of the library in this story? Of Mr. Halloway being a janitor there?

Big surprise, I love the way the library acts as a beacon and a safe haven for the boys in the midst of their adventure. I love Bradbury's respect for libraries overall, and his imaginative, idealized depiction of this library and its dusty stacks full of travel, adventure, dinosaurs, pirates and more. It's also great that Mr. Holloway's response to this existential threat is... research ;) I think his role as janitor shows his dedication to the ideals of the library even while like everything else in his life, he feels like he is not 'enough' in some way. Not a good enough father; not a librarian, just a janitor in the library -- showing his weakness.



4.What did you think of the opening of the story? Did Tom Fury and his lighting rods set a mood or get you ready for what was going to happen?

I find the opening paragraphs (literally) atmospheric, even if the storm never quite arrives in the way Tom Fury predicts it. I can almost hear Fury, with his clanking lightning rods, appear amidst the wind and the dusk. It starts us off with a shiver.


5.From the outset, the sudden appearance of Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show is a cause for concern. Did you sense from the beginning that the carnival is sinister?

Bradbury does give us many clues that this is a sinister group; the music playing without anyone playing it, the steaming old-fashioned train pulling in in the middle of the night, the tents made of clouds and shadow... I think it's evident early on that Cooger & Dark are Up To No Good.

6.Ray Bradbury utilizes smells and sounds in Something Wicked This Way Comes in order to provoke profound sensory memories and emotions from his characters. What smells and sounds have a profound emotional effect on you?

I find that throughout the story, the senses are evoked in many ways. The tactile feel of his descriptions of the boys climbing the roof to nail up a lighting rod, the experience of being a child at night in your room and hearing your parents talking in the distance, the smell and feel of a night wind, the music of the carnival, the scent of cotton candy on the wind and the power of nostalgia -- all of it makes this a sensory whirlwind, at least for me. 

7.What weakness would Mr. Dark seek to exploit in you? What would your tattoo be?

Hmm, this one is tough. I'm not sure how my tattoo would appear on the Illustrated Man if I had succumbed to the Pandemonium Shadow Show's temptations. I'll have to ponder it! 
 



Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on your reading!

Sunday, September 17, 2017

When I Put My Red Skirt On...



I recently made a bright red pencil skirt, inspired by the first week of the Pattern Review Sewing Bee. I didn't have a pencil skirt on the sewing list for fall, and wasn't planning on sewing along for the Sewing Bee -- I don't do so well with time limits -- plus I have a sewalong of my own on the go right now ;)


But the challenge was to make a pencil skirt inspired by music, and as I read the rules, a song by a group I've recently been listening to a lot popped into my head. Rosie & the Riveters are a vintage-folk band from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (close to my hometown) who are both fun and socially aware, not shying away from stating their feminism in their songs.

The particular song that jumped to mind when I saw this challenge is called "Red Dress". It's a peppy song about the confidence that comes from wearing the perfect red dress, in this case, a gem found at 'the Sally Ann'. Since I do most of my clothes shopping either in the fabric store or the thrift store, this one really speaks to me. And the tune is great too! Listen to it in this music video the group made -- you can find many more on their website.





Anyhow, I spent a full day going through my pattern and fabric stash, trying to decide what I should make for this contest. I finally decided on the wardrobe pattern Simplicity 1919 because of the skirt's cute ruffle at the back which acts as a walking pleat. Then I matched it up with some heavy red stretch fabric in the stash which I had originally bought with Jalie's Eleonore jeans in mind... but I so rarely wear pants I thought I would use it for this pattern instead.





side view of the substantive ruffle!


It worked, but the fabric is quite stretchy -- more than I'd anticipated. I had to take the waist in even more than I'd originally decided. It's still a bit loose but wearable, so no big deal. I think the rest fits well, and smooths over most of my lumps and bumps, even if the heft of the fabric gave me a little trouble with getting clean seams (it's not easy to press this). I'm going to show you two unflattering pictures just so you can get a better idea of how this turned out.... oh, the sacrifices sewists make.







Not sure why the zip is bumpy in this pic, it is smooth while I wear it. Despite the flaws, I love this deep red and find it really fun and comfy to wear. I think it will go with many neutral tops and be something I can wear nearly year round, with the addition of tights.



So although I had no plans to make a skirt, this has now started me off on all sorts of ideas for other patterns I'd like to make -- after all, I think I looked at every skirt pattern in my stash before picking this one!

Coming up soon, I'll have a great pull-on stretch knit skirt in this year's velvety fabric ready to share; I'll be refashioning a velour maxi tank dress from the 90s that I found at -- yes -- the Sally Ann! Have you made any great thrift store discoveries lately?