Sunday, September 30, 2012

the wiksten tova top

Coasting on my Ayashe sewing high, I cut the Tova fabric on Friday and had it sewn by Saturday evening. I didn't even have to take out any seams! Which is good, this fabric is on the lighter side and wouldn't have withstood that kind of abuse. In general I'm still learning the ins and outs of proper sewing, but even given that, this was quick and straight forward. Very, very happy.  



Placket, inset and collar all sewn properly! No alterations (not that I would know how to anyway), the small fit perfectly. I did forego the temporary gathering stitches on the sleeves, ample pinning worked fine. But on a sturdier fabric it would be worth the extra time. I don't have a serger and this fabric was quick to fray, so I finished all the edges with a zigzag, I'm hoping that does the trick.  Now to pick the fabric for version 2...


Saturday, September 29, 2012

sewing above my skill level



I'm happy to say it can be done. I can follow a pattern and end up with a wearable thing, as long as I have the patience to remove stitches over and over again AND OVER again. It's embarrassing. Anyway, as long as Amelia's head can fit through the opening, success!

The collar tried to break me. The nice inside yoke did not trip me up at all, but the collar became my nemesis. See, that's just ugly. I can't topstitch, that's obvious. But even if you ignore that, it's all wonky.


At this point my stitch remover grew red hot from use and I eventually had to walk away.

I picked it back up on Friday, finally relenting and cutting new fabric entirely. And why not go contrasting for the inside? Nothing to lose at this point (maybe my sanity?). It's still not perfect, but it is so much better and I am more than OK with that.


The Figgy Ayashe Blouse, complete!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

wednesday


I walk to work, but most days a Vespa looks way more appealing.

Pumpkin muffins were in the oven by 6AM and spilled all over the oven bottom by 6:17 when I tried taking them out. Of course this happened. Things only go wrong when you plan to give bake goods to someone else. Let me tell you, a piping hot mini muffin looks pretty pitiful slumped on the oven bottom, slowly scorching a burn mark into it's side.

I haven't made lasagna in years because lasagna means glorious ricotta and mozzarella to me. Lots of it. Rire doesn't do dairy, so there's that. I caved and finally made a vegetarian version last night, My Green Diet's version.  I added spinach, parsley and basil. It was good. Really good.  But I still miss the cheese. I compensated with too many slices of buttered French bread.

I need to take the collar off the Ayashe blouse one last time and just cut new fabric. I will fix this.

Up until today, the weather has been good. The kind of good that tricks you into thinking long marathon training runs are perfectly reasonable. Not that I'm running a fall marathon, but it's makes me nostalgic.  I won't be doing another for a while, but I think Portland OR would be a nice welcome back when I do.

Monday, September 24, 2012

the weekend

Sewing continues with the completion of an actual, official shirt for Amelia.  In between the endless loop of removing seams and redoing them (I lost count but it's a wonder the fabric hasn't disintegrated), we went to watch the 5th Avenue Mile.  Usually we run it as well but this year is not panning out as we had thought it would.  Rire has a boot on his foot!

Brenda Martinez, Anna Pierce and Hannah England.  We absolutely act like crazed Bieber fans with the cheering, shouting and high fiving.  They are our rock stars.

Olympians Matt Centrowitz, Bernard Lagat and Leo Manzano.

They treat their fans well.


Monday, September 17, 2012

so, sewing

People sew in my family.  My Grandma was a quilter and my mom made us clothing.  Bravely letting Amy and I pick any fabric we wanted at Joann's for our stirrup pants and jams.  I can only hope I'm as open minded someday.  The 80's were not kind to apparel fabric.

I came to sewing late, but I have not been deterred.  First up.  The internet famous Wiksten Tank for myself and the Emerson Tunic Dress for Amelia.  At this stage in the game it's safe to say I do more things wrong than right.  Like running out of scotch tape and switching to a decorative blue.

And using every trick in the box to try and center the pleat.



Box pleat!  I have no idea what the proper way to go about this was.  But the pins helped me.

(Fabric from my Grandma's legendary stash.)

I may have sewn the entire thing only to decide it wasn't quite right.  I may have ripped out every stitch and started over.  And because I can't leave well enough alone.  Let's appliqué a bird on it.

The Wiksten came together beautifully - curved hem, French Seams and all.  French seams!

Pictures of the actual finished pieces coming up next...

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

september 11th

I'm always a little thrown when the weather is exactly like it was 11 years ago.  The weather from that day has locked in my memory like no other day ever has.

Friday, September 7, 2012

tea cake

It feels like soup outside.  Humidhumidhumid.  So of course I suggested inviting people over for homemade pizza.  Because I like turning my oven to 500 degrees and sticking my head in it every 12 minutes?  More like I love baking and having company for dinner justifies large quantities of butter, sugar and fruit.  The peaches were rock solid, but had flavor.  The raspberries were added just incase the baseball-esque peaches let me down.  Fingers crossed.

Before and after, the Stone Fruit Tea Cake in Rustic Fruit Desserts.



up hill in the snow, both ways

Without shoes.

In my day we had to wait for a classmate's Chuckie Cheese birthday party to have this much fun.  Now you can set everything up in your own backyard!  Kids these days don't know how good they have it.

(Had this been just a bit bigger I totally would have shooed the kids out and had a turn myself!)



Thursday, September 6, 2012

shelter island, ny

(Will return to the Labor Day weekend photos shortly.  Getting these up before they're lost in the shuffle.  This happens more often than I'd like to admit.)

We spent a weekend on Shelter Island, where ferries take you to to screened porches. 

And I can continue to drink my morning coffee outside.  Just like nature intended.



And you can eat and eat and eat at adorable places like Reddings Gourmet Market.


Things like this.

And this and this.

And you do it all while surrounded by water.

And then Sunday rolls arounds and its back to the ferry and back to reality.

This view of the city from the BQE always so impressive in person, but I've yet to get a picture the fully captures it.  I imagine being in a moving vehicle has something to do with that.  I'll keep trying.


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

labor day weekend - sunday

Again with the pajamas and coffee outside.  And basketball.

(Rocketship pajamas purchased ages ago, they finally fit her!)

Carrot cake muffins, they're absolutely a breakfast food.


The middle of the day involved a 4 mile run (my first in a month, ouch) and a 4 mile bike ride.  There are no pictures.  So let's just skip ahead to dinner.  And the delicious rose.



Post nap fog.


And the Boilermaker, it's tradition.


Tuesday, September 4, 2012

labor day weekend - saturday

We both had Friday off, which made for one of the best drives we've had in ages.  We stopped in New Hartford so I could spend to my hearts desire at Joann Fabrics and he could shop for a new bike at Schuss and Dick Sonnes.  I scored at Joann's.  It takes time to paw through the bolts and bolts (and bolts...) of themed fabric, but patience pays off.  Decent stuff for $3/yard.  Now I must sew.

Saturday morning.  Coffee in pajamas, outside.  Because we can.

These two need to slow it down.  The growing up is out of hand.

He's as sweet and polite as can be.  She is fond of the word NO and her "brudder".

And then there was fishing.

Once properly caffeinated, we set off for Mt. Hope Reservoir.  This kid is mad about fishing and has no shortage of people to take him, but it was high time his aunt and uncle stepped up.  Eli even taught us a thing or two, showing R how to cast.


It's really quite pretty.

Saturday night (after R bought his bike and we killed some time at the never ever changing Sangertown Mall) we headed to my parents.  Where I channeled my inner Katniss and perfected my archery skills.  I'm not half bad, if only my parents had forced me to practice as a child...  I could have been an Olympian!

On the way back to Amy's we stopped at Walmart to sell small bits of our souls to the devil in exchange for things like deodorant and laundry soap at prices that do not make us weep.  I always feel guilty shopping there, but is Duane Reade really any better?