A sew along announcement and fabric binge confessions

I have exciting news! I am a new contributor to the Humble Sewing Center Blog and will be hosting a sew along using Butterick 4461, my favorite A-Line skirt with zipper. Check it out!

Now, the confessions begin.

I couldn't walk. Mr. Thinks He Can lost my debit card. Life was really hard. Warning: The following may be hard for people with will power to see. The following is based on a true story and is what happens when I am left alone with the internet and nothing else for days on end.

One of my fabrics for the skirt sew along.

A chiffon for another go at Taffy.

A cheetah print rayon. I know. What the heck? I actually really dig it. It is such a small print. I may make a simple tank dress out of it. That's my good foot to help you get an idea of scale. LOL, still can't walk.

This is one yard of a weird knit that is kind of thick. It is kind of fuzzy on one side and kind of slick on the other side. I'm sure it is for something beside a skirt, but too bad.

This is another knit that will be a wrap dress. I love it!

This is a navy charmeuse I am thinking of making a Ruby slip with. I have never worked with charmeuse, but it is really lovely.

Tangerine Tango polka dot rayon! That's my assistant's foot up there for scale. I see a nice button down out of this.

This is a navy linen blend I am hoping to make the new Cynthia Rowley shirt I am drooling over out of.

Pattern Organization and Fabric check

I was looking for a pattern I bought on sale. I knew I bought the pattern- where the heck? All the patterns in the file cabinet drawer were dumped on the floor to be sorted through. Not there. Wait, what's that... I stretched my arm back through the back of the drawer and felt paper. I gave a pull and unearthed an addiction.

Found it. But they were all on sale! See, I've used a lot of them... Ok I have enough to justify organizing them.

I used the drawer again, but this time used folders marked:

Dresses
Shirts
Skirts
Pants
Sportswear Collections
Knits Only
Random (seasonal, slippers, etc.)
Vintage
Bags

Believe it or not, that is better.

Having seen all the patterns, I decided to pull out my fabrics and try to match them up.

It all fits in that tub, so it isn't too bad.

This is a pretty clearance rayon that I think would make a pretty shirt dress (but kind of suspect that it will look kind of 90s and must be sported with combat boots). There are three yards of it, so if you have any ideas for it, please let me know.

A planned Texas themed quilt. I intend to do it later in the Spring. We are a proud people here in Texas.

Baby shower gifts.

Dear Stacie,


Why would you give a dead cow and chili pepper themed gift to a baby?


Concerned Reader

Dear Concerned Reader,

This is a joke fabric. The couple doesn't know the sex of the baby, but I know dad has a love for Southwest inspired decor which drives his wife crazy. I think this will be a lesson to everyone to tell me the sex of your baby or you will get scary baby shower gifts. Yes, I will probably make it a more appropriately chosen present after it is born. Until then I am sending a powerful message.

Stacie

Scraps big enough to make tote bags from.

Fusible, interfacing and muslin, oh my!

Skirts. Has to be right? They are my summer uniform, and I love bright colored skirts.

Seasonals: Christmas and Halloween to be exact. Check ya next year!

I have about three yards of this lace which is so pretty and drapes nicely- except for the color. I think I may dye it a prettier blue to make a summer dress out of.

I may make a Violet out of this material. I have held off because it is so slippery and cheap feeling. I may want to make one out of a cotton first to see how it goes. Maybe it would make another good attempt at a Taffy...

This is a weird tube of scratchy knit I acquired randomly. I may try to make another cardigan like my Polka Dot one. I don't know what else I would do with it...

This is an awesome print given to me by Holly for Christmas. I used some of it to make a tote bag, and I'm hoping to either make a sorbetto or a skirt out of the rest of it. Hopefully there is enough for the sorbetto because I just don't wear too much white on bottom. Super cute!

That's it! I am trying to inventory what I have with what I need because I have surgery on my foot scheduled for Friday, and I won't be able to walk for six weeks! I will have a knee scooter, but good luck getting one of those through Joann's. I have been practicing left footed sewing, so hopefully I can get a few garments done.

My summer uniform

Despite my weird facial expression, I love this skirt. In Houston it is about a million degrees in the summer and the only advantage women have in life, in my opinion, is that we don't have to wear pants in that weather. Oh, and it is brutal summer from about March to October, so this T-shirt and skirt combo is my go to outfit. Work, shopping, walking the dog....I am rarely seem in anything else.

This is the Butterick 4461 that I did not destroy. I made it up in about an hour and a half and used a quilting cotton my dear friend Jenny picked out for me because it was blonde colors. I like this pattern because I made the skirt with only about 1 1/4 yards of fabric.

I am obviously wearing this crooked. I made a size smaller than my wildflower skirt, but I could even go in a little more on the seams to stop it from shifting.  I used the length prescribed by the pattern and it really turned out nice.

I thought we were done with some quick pictures when Mr. Thinks He Can said, "Wait, should I get some pictures of the zipper?" What a thoughtful photographer! I said of course. It isn't a perfect zipper, but I never tuck in my shirts with skirts like this, so I'm fine with it.

You can see on the inside I just serged all the pieces together and also to finish raw edges. I don't know if you can see, but I hand sewed the facing down with neon green thread from the frog pants. I don't know when else I will be able to use that color again! This skirt is highly recommended and an easy win.

Fabric meltdown

No, an actual fabric meltdown. I made another version of Butterick 4461 that turned out spectacular. I made it in a smaller size and a bit longer to mimic a skirt I wear all summer long. It is perfect, and you will see a post on it very soon. I was so moved by the perfection of the skirt, I saw some Ikat patterned silky stuff at Joann's for $1.50 a yard and went for it.

Pretty right? I made this entire skirt during the course of two streamed episodes of Angel on Netflix.

See the drape of the fabric? It really does feel nice. I got the fabric washed, pressed, sewn, zipper in and hemmed. I then went for a final press over the hem to set the stitches and....

What the heck!?! The iron burned through the fabric! I hadn't changed the setting at all, and had been pressing along every step! Grrrr.

See that zipper in there? It even looked good! Is that what they mean about use a pressing cloth? Grumble, grumble... Oh well, at least I only spent $2.25 for the skirt. And it was really quick which was good. We'll call it zipper practice.

I'm off to buy some iron cleaner (grumble, grumble), and I will get back to my dog quilt. How cute is that block?

Holy Cankles Batman and how that relates to The Colette Sewing Handbook

Remember my fall at the park from the other night? It was a severe sprain and not a break. I got a giant boot to wear, but I still can't put any weight on it anyway. I have basically been lying down with my feet up in the air either conscious or unconscious in a Vicodin haze.

It looks a lot like this from my point of view.

See that right foot? No it is not an optical illusion, my right ankle measures 7.5 inches larger in circumference than the right. So long for now jeggings.

Also, being as that is my right ankle, it is my sewing and driving foot. Le sigh, If it weren't for the Vicodin I would be totally stressed about that.

Also, because I can't bear any weight on my foot just now I have been scooting around the house on my butt on my assistant's dog bed, which she thinks is a hilarious magic carpet game in which she is meant to chase me, lick me and make me laugh so hard I stop she can get on the bed with me and we can ride together.

I know I am not being punished though, because last night I asked Mr. Thinks He Can if he had a rolling chair at his office I could use, after a long trip of Magic Carpet Ride to the bathroom and back. He said no, but there was one someone had left by the dumpster. GET IT!!!! What a blessing. I now have abandoned the dog bed and have been rolling around the house in my dirty, old, used office chair which my assistant sniffs a little too much for me to be comfortable with.

So, during a moment of self pity, before the office chair/dumpster miracle, I bought the The Colette Sewing Handbook off BN.com. I know Sarai wants us to use Amazon, but I get a sweet educator discount and had a gift certificate to use at BN.



I have enjoyed her blog posts on the five pattern she is including in the book.

Taffy and Meringue - A cute shirt and scalloped skirt

And three dresses!

Pastille - a simple shift

Truffle - a sleeveless dress with a pretty peplum-ruffle.

Licorice - a pretty dress with sleeves, but I am scared if I try this one it will look Becky Home Ecky. I may need to extend the sleeves to full length to feel comfortable with it. Still cute though!

It is set to ship November 16, which gets it to me just in time for my week off for Thanksgiving! Another awesome thing to look forward to!