Cheerfully Observing Thread

I made these wide legged pants to be a part of my fall wardrobe, and I really liked how they turned out.  They are the same ones I used for this blog post (always love to reuse a pattern!), only out of a much lighter weight fabric, and not lined.  If you look closely at the last picture, you can see that the fabric (a Robert Kaufman Essex Linen/Cotton blend) is actually a tiny black and white window pane check, but it comes off grey.   Any one else starting to put together their fall plans yet?  It's finally cool enough around here for me to be in the mood to work on my fall projects.  Here are some things I'm hoping to accomplish:  Knit new dishcloths  - my mom told me she is in need of new ones, and now that it's fall, it seems like the time for a new knitting project.  Find a Vegetable Soup Recipe - I've been trying a new creamy vegetable soup recipe every week in search of the perfect one. If I can’t find one, I guess I might have to draft my own!  Walk outside whe

A quick look at some of my summer sewing experiences…  Shirt from the World Wildlife Foundation after major alterations. Went from long sleeve unisex crew neck to cap sleeve scoop neck fitted tee!  Leather purse my talented coworker made for me.  Coral tee from Butterick 6848 White shirt from Simplicity 1916  New Look 6142 top; “tulip” pj bottoms my own Kwik Sew top 4160 Butterick vest 4815 Burda skirt 6147 Ukrainian quilt from the AQS show in August. I hadn't been to the quilt show in five years, and it was definitely worth going to.  Like visiting an art museum! New Look top 6732

Whew - how’s that for a long post title?! I got this cool fabric from a friend’s grandma, who was like an “extra” grandma to me. She was a big sewist who passed away a few years ago, and my friend asked if I would like some of the fabric she had collected over the years. I said yes, and one of the pieces in the box was this tiny gingham with a floral cutout and outline. It’s one of the most unique fabrics I’ve run across in my years of sewing. I decided to make New Look pattern #6732, which I think fit the fabric perfectly. I liked how  the pattern turned out enough to make it a second time, but I did a simpler version with a linen-look cotton I found (I did lengthen the bodice on both, and the ruffle on the coral one, since I am a bit long through the torso). Now I have a pretty shirt to help me remember a special lady. 

 I found this textured cotton remnant and decided to make a vest out of it, since they’re back in style and I don’t have a lighter weight one in my closet at the moment. I chose Butterick #4815 for my pattern, which I’ve owned and loved for ages. And the buttons I found were so pretty - they look like they have lace pressed into the underside!  One of the things I ended up doing quite a bit on this vest is understitching. It really helps the whole garment to just lay and hang better. Understitching is when you sew the sea allowance down to the lining. I usually press the seam open with the seam allowances on the lining side, then stitch an eighth of an inch into the lining (see the last photo). Then I press the seam again to however I usually would to finish it. I find it’s always worth it to take the extra step, as you can always tell a difference to the finished look of the garment.  I paired the vest with white dress pants since it's still pretty warm out, but I know I will be w

 One of my favorite things to do in sewing? Reuse a pattern! Why? Saves money (remember - Price Per Use principle: cost goes down every time you use it), and more importantly, time. Since the pattern pieces are already cut out, you know how it comes together, which size you want, and what you want to do differently, it is so much faster to make a pattern again than pick a new one and start from scratch.  I used this pattern last winter for this corduroy skirt  , which I really loved, so I figured it would be fun to have one for the warmer seasons. The fabric is from Robert Kaufman’s Essex line, which is a linen and cotton blend. I lined it with a black cotton lawn I had on hand. I lightened the look up with a white cardigan, but by using the darker colors in it, I think I’ll be able to wear it well in to September.  Just for fun, look how well it matches Priti NYC’s “Pewter Moon” nail polish! 

I decided I needed some new summer pajamas after I found this grey knit fabric at a local fabric store for only $3.97 a yard! It was so soft and cozy feeling, I couldn’t pass it up. It has tiny clusters of metallic rose gold and black hearts on it. I’m not normally a “heart” person, but this was subtle enough I could make an exception. 😉 It felt like it had rayon in it, so I prewashed it, and then paired it with a leftover black rayon I had laying around, and the result? Two pajama sets with four combinations for mix and match. The swing short was an idea I saw on a pair on a website, but they were out of my size, so I decided to try making some. I measured a few inches past the pattern on the outer edge, and then used a dinner plate to evenly round off the hem.  I also found the pink tufted rayon remnant, which made up cute for another set, and the grey and pink set is from a couple cotton knit remnants I found (sometimes it’s really handy to not be super tall…). Now I should be set