Cheerfully Observing Thread

How fun are these wool pants?!  It's so easy to fall back on black or grey during the darker months, so I wanted a brighter "basic" for my winter/transitional wardrobe.  Something that was still warm, but was hinting of brighter days ahead.  These wool pants, using Vogue pattern #1741, add a pop of color to my winter choices without looking out of season, and I should be able to wear them until close to Easter. Wearing them with a royal blue coat adds to the fun, but they can also be more classic if paired with black.  

  Once the cold weather hits, you really won’t find me without some kind of scarf on, even indoors.  No matter how much I move around at my jobs, I just plain get cold, so wearing a scarf really helps.  I try to have a variety of them around to mix and match with my outfits, and this is a dual patterned infinity scarf I made using two coordinating fabrics. It is a very easy variation on the basic infinity scarf, and requires only a few items to make. You will need two coordinating fabrics, 60” wide, 3/8-½ yard of each, depending on how full you like your scarf (I used 3/8ths here).  This is how I laid them out, but it doesn’t have to be exactly like this.  You can make your own design, since there isn’t really a “wrong” way, so long as it ends up as an even rectangle at the end. (I prefer a scarf that is not the full 60” long, so I usually go for a length of about 54” when I make them.) Folded in half… And be sure to leave an opening…  Here is how I joined my scarf to make it a loop: m

   Happy Valentine's Day! I had a very interesting time making the lace vest to go over this dress.  To start with, I couldn't find a pink lace in the right shade or style of lace.  When I finally found the right style, it was a really bright color, which wasn't at all what I'd had in mind.  That led to a diluted solution of bleach and water in the kitchen sink (and fortunately not splashing any on myself and ruining anything I was wearing) to see if I could fade it out to the color I was hoping for.  Luckily, it worked, so from there I cut around the flowers as I cut out the pattern, as I wanted to preserve the design of the fabric.  This made it slightly asymmetrical, but I liked how it turned out.  I tried pink ribbon under the buttons for stability before I realized I needed black to keep it consistent.  I tied it off with a piece of grosgrain ribbon, and kept my tights and shoes black so as to make the vest really pop.  A few bracelets to jazz it up, and my Valenti

How cute are these heathered grey pajamas?  They are made out a cotton knit with some lycra in it, so they are very soft and comfortable.  I love making pajamas as they're an easy, no fuss project with pretty quick results.  I used these two patterns (you can tell the Butterick one for the pants it a long time favorite by the date on it, but it is still current)... And added some lace to make them a little fancier and prettier.  Here is the back…  They are perfect for lounging around on a snowy day and enjoying a good book, or relaxing in the evening after work.  On that note, I have to mention the book from the pictures: “The Belgariad,” by David Eddings. It’s one of my all-time favorite fantasy series. It’s a big commitment (five books in the original series, and five more in the sequel series, “The Mallorian”), but I’ve read the whole set twice (and am starting it again!) and would HIGHLY recommend them!