Yet another non-sewing blog post...

...no pics either.... I've been so busy with starting up my new business that I've had little time for anything else. No sewing, no knitting, limited social life. I had so much work that I re-scheduled Saturday date night to tomorrow afternoon. I've spent over 20 hours since Wednesday afternoon on just one client, plus I have another one that is in crisis that I need to get to. VERY happy to be busy, wish I had time to do something creative... I've been living vicariously through all of you via Google Reader..... I also deperately need to organize my 2nd bedroom into my home office and sewing room...have been working on my dining room table, but that's getting old..

New fall patterns-a fat chick's perspective

I just finished looking at McCall's and Simplicity's new fall patterns. Besides the fact that it's June and hotter than hades here in lovely DC, they just didn't do it for me. First, McCalls. I saw a couple I thought were ok, but they didn't go above an 18. Am I going to do major grading up on a pattern I barely like? I don't think so!!! Next, Simplicity. I found one pattern I might buy if/when it goes on sale. They did a better job at sizing, but not by much. I sew because I have a hard time finding RTW to fit. Now, my choice of patterns is limited. Glad I already have a stockpile of them and don't care about wearing the latest trends! I know this topic has gone around blog-land a million times, but I'm mentioning it again in the hopes that someone from the pattern companies read sewing blogs...

This starting a new business is taking up lots of my time, so no sewing is happening.. Eventually I'll find balance...

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Yes, another non-sewing post. I am 50 today. Still having trouble wrapping my brain around that number. I can now join AARP and you know they sent me info already. Yet I don't "feel" 50....what is 50 supposed to feel like anyhow? I've already had one birthday celebration, when my mom, another sister and nephew were in town a couple of weeks ago. Another one today, with local family and the BF...someone better bring cake!!

In other non-sewing news, my business is now up and sorta running. I formed an LLC, will start working with one client next week, have another one in the pipeline and have let my contacts know so hopefully will get some business that way. Exciting and scary at the same time... But hell, if I can't take a chance at 50 to do something I've wanted to do for a long time, when will I take it? In case you're interested, I'm a cpa and I will be doing financial/accounting work for nonprofits. The nonprofit world is my passion, and I will get to work in it full-time!!

I'm hopefully going to get some sewing done this weekend....

They're like crack.....

These simple skirts are just addicting. I made another one last night, and I still have more panels.... On this one, I just made a simple casing for the elastic. It literally took 20 minutes to make, including pressing. The nice thing about being tall and fat is that I don't need to trim anything off the panels, so only had to sew one seam up the back and make the casing... Wore it to the dentist today, where I spent most of my day...sigh....didn't really want to spend close to $2,000 on my damn teeth while still unemployed..Will not be unemployed much longer - will save that for another post as the details are still being worked out, but I'm pretty excited about the next phase in my career! Now, onto the eye candy, front and back views on a hanger since I have no live-in photographer....



The front view



The back view


Happy sewing!!

Another skirt

I made another skirt, using one of the African fabric panels mentioned in my last post. I used an elastic waist technique from the Spring issue of Sew Stylish. I liked it better (on this skirt) than the exposed elastic, but think will use multiple channels as shown on an Anna Marie Horner pattern. Also cut out a muslin today for a more work appropriate A-line skirt. And have plans to cut out a couple of "wearable muslin" items...And I also washed up a bunch of fabric this morning...Will have to go out later today in our unbearable heat to go get a mammogram and a dexo screening...ah, the joys of being female and almost 50....Well, here are pics of the skirt, it's comfortable and cool, so plan on wearing it lots and making up a couple more!!!

OMG, I made a skirt!!!!

Finally, an actual almost finished wearable item!!! I made a skirt today, everything is done but the hem - am letting the skirt hang overnight before hemming. It's a very simple elastic waist Simplicity pattern (I'd give you the number, but I'm too lazy to get off the sofa and find the envelope...) I got the fabric at Gorgeous Fabrics and really love it - cotton with a bit of spandex. And it is definitely not a conservative print - this CPA likes her colors... I took a couple of pics, sorry for the ultra-white legs and the t-shirt that doesn't match...Also took a pic of my dining room window and the other fabric from Africa. I think I'm going to buy some wide elastic and just make a few "20 minute" skirts that were so popular in sewing blog-land last summer..

I think I will make another 1 or 2 of this pattern - it was easy and it's comfortable. Plus, now that I've gone through the trouble of adjusting it to fit my rectangle body, I might as well get some more use out of this pattern!!!

Happy sewing everyone!!!





Curtain:


Fabric without the sun behind it:

Finally turned on the sewing machine....

This past Thursday was my last day at work....Now I'm off at least the rest of this month, or longer, depending on how long it takes me to find a new job...I finally turned on my sewing machine this afternoon and made a curtain panel for my dining room. My oldest niece took a business trip to Kenya and I had her buy me some fabric. She got me some beautiful panel pieces and I used one of them for my curtains. I think the others may get made into simple skirts - sew up the side seam and add some elastic. The skirts would be too long so I think I can use the extra fabric to make a wrap tie for the waist so they look kinda like sarongs, but way less chance of a wardrobe malfunction... I have alot more items to sew in the queue, so hopefully I will have pics to show of wearable items soon.....

Road trip???

Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic fame, did her last post on a trip to Fabric Mart. I've ordered online, but didn't realize that it was also a bricks and mortar store. A store that is only about 2.5 hours away from the DC metro area (using my address in Alexandria as a starting point)... I left a comment about a road trip so thought I would do an actual blog post about it - since I need to post something more than once a month..... I have heard from one person expressing interest but was wondering if anyone else from this area is interested. Since I'm taking most of May off, I have time to both organize a trip and actually go on one!!! I thought driving up in the morning, doing some shopping, having lunch, doing more shopping and a leisurely drive back could be fun. Let me know if you're game!!!

Planning new projects...

I spent part of Saturday organizing my sewing patterns; they are now actually sorted by company and number..although I do have separate containers for my vintage patterns and patterns that I plan to sew soon... So, I took some pics with patterns matched with fabric that I am planning on sewing during the month of May. I think I may be a bit too ambitious considering my fitting challenges, but figured I should have a plan for my month off so I don't just lay around. First on the list is finishing my Crepe dress!!!! I am going to master that pattern!!! Below are a few of the projects I'm planning......

....for Crescent skirt sew-a-long....


....a Sencha blouse......


..this fabric will definitely be a skirt, not necessarily this pattern..but I LOVE this fabric, so spring-like


..this is one of the new Vogue's - not crazy about this fabric, so this will be a [hopefully wearable] muslin

I have more pics that I'll save for another post.... happy spring sewing!!!

Not about sewing

Geez, I am such a bad blogger..but my sewing mojo, along with any energy has disappeared. Hopefully it will return soon.. I did something VERY un-Karen-like yesterday. I handed in my resignation with no new job to go to. I'm an accountant, I like things orderly and don't normally take risks..but I am now. Alot of it has to do with my health, my current job is stressing me out beyond belief. I like the work, but the office politics, turf wars and bureaucracy were making me nuts.. My last day is May 5th (I want to finish a big project I'm working on) and then I plan to take the rest of May off! I want to sew, knit, embroider, organize my condo (esp my sewing area), anything but accounting.. I also think I may take the plunge and go out on my own. My passion is working with small non-profits, doing the accounting and other financial consulting... I turn 50 in a couple of months and figure if I don't take the chance now with my own business, I'll never do it.. There seems to be alot of this going around the sewing blog-land, although, unlike the others, mine is not sewing related but will feed my soul and hopefully may the mortgage at the same time.... Wish me luck!!!

Crepe muslin #3

Thanks to Kate and Cassie for their very helpful comments on muslin #2. I think I have figured this out. I made a new front today. I added the "dart" to the side per Kate's instructions to give my front side more width - it worked!!! But the section above the bust still wasn't right. So I re-read Cassie's comments and pinned up the shoulders. Almost, but not quite. As is common with full-busted women, our shoulders aren't as wide as one would think, purely based on bust size. So then I pinched out some of the shoulder seam vertically and the top finally hung the way it should. To compensate, I will have to add the length back to the bottom, but I really think this will do it!!! I'm going to mark up my muslin, copy to the pattern and then match it up with the skirt!! I am hoping to spend next weekend (I have Friday off, so another long weekend) starting on the Crepe with my fashion fabric!!!!!! I think for tomorrow, I'm going to work on the pencil skirt and maybe a nightgown...I need a break from all these fitting challenges.... At the rate I'm going, it may actually be spring by the time I finish this dress....

I really suck at Blogger, so all my pics are at the end.....



before changes

The back - the wrinkles are from me contorting to take this pic.....




After doing the pinning - you can see my belly button and surgery scar, so need to add length here.....

Long weekends...

I am planning on getting a final muslin of the Crepe dress done this weekend..I found a really good article this week (Threads, I think) on how to use a sloper to adjust paper patterns. I also want to work on the pencil skirt that I made a muslin for....Not today though, celebrating the BF's birthday!!

Hope all of you get some sewing time on this long weekend!!

This used to be much easier....

..when I was a teenager. Like most women of my generation, I learned how to sew in 7th grade home ec. I sewed through most of my teenage years-I've always been tall and RTW has always been a problem. However, the teenage me could sew a pattern right out of the envelope with almost no adjustments, except for length.. The 49 yr old me can no longer do that.. First up, the Butterick pencil skirt I talked about yesterday. It's huge on me. I had carefully taken my measurements from a few months ago, measured the pattern and added to it based on those measurements. Yes, I've been doing weight watchers, but I haven't lost that much weight. Most, if not all, that I added to the pattern will be coming back off. I have 2 nice pieces of wool that I bought at G St Fabrics that will eventually become that skirt....


Now onto the Crepe dress. I made the 2nd muslin yesterday. I can breathe in this one, the length is better and the bust darts are basically in the right place. However, there is weird extra fabric above my bust and I think the problem is that the front needs more width for me. I also looked at where the side seams fall and they are not lined up right-where I think they need to be are in red on my pics, the actual side seams are in black. There are still wrinkles in the back, not sure if that is fixable or if it's because I have rolls, or because the sheet I'm using for a muslin just doesn't drape well. I am DETERMINED to get this dress to fit as I really like the design and it will be a great work dress for spring and summer.


Any and all suggestions are appreciated...

Crepe muslin #2

I made some adjustments to a newly traced Crepe pattern (bodice only) this morning. I lowered the bust dart 3 inches, which will also give me the additional length I need. Now to go sew on the new machine one of my sisters gave me for Christmas!! There are lots of us, so we pick names... Today is my AWS (alternative work schedule) day off, so I'm using it as my play day!!! After sewing the Crepe muslin, I plan to sew a pencil skirt muslin - I adjusted Butterick 5147 last weekend. I'm hoping this pattern will work - I love pencil skirts and it would be great to be able to sew up a bunch for my work wardrobe...

The next post should have pictures...unless they're really scary....

Goals for 2011...

Ok, so I'm later than the rest of the world....had to really think about this. My goals include sewing goals, but also some life goals.

1. Declutter!!!!
2. Sew one garment per month.
3. Take a couple of more classes at G Street to improve my skills.
4. Lose 50 lbs. I started weight watcher again - have to lose the weight as I was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
5. Investigate PhD programs. I think I really do want to do this, but it's a big commitment, so want to be sure before I start; especially since I will be working full-time, which I did with both my bachelor's and master's degrees...where's that winning lottery ticket when I need it???

I guess that's enough for now..Hopefully the next post will show an update on my Crepe muslining....