Some Sewing...

My ledger is a little empty of completed projects. But here are two Burda patterns from last month - one hopeful and one loser:

Burda 7907



I made View B as a muslin for View C - the dress with the wide straps. The muslin looks awful frumpy on me, doesn't it? But it's actually a good look.

I lengthened the bust piece vertically and widened the lower curved portion of it. The widening was actually too much and the resulting gathers are just too thick even for the thin muslin fabric.
On the other hand, I could have lengthened the piece by 3/8" more.

This is the line drawing:


The shape of the decolletage is really pretty on me and with the wider straps, I believe the dress, in a mid-weight cotton, will be a winner for summer.

And the loser:

Burda 8269

This is the plus version of 8407. I haven't compared the two to see if the hip curves are more emphasized on the plus version.


I cut this out in a size 46 last summer, from a stretch velveteen. I'd washed and dried the fabric, which gave it a (permanent) crushed look.

The lines are really interesting and the trumpet shape should be a winner on an hourglass figure like mine. But it looked so awful on me. Maybe it's the length. The curve around the hips, followed by the flare around the calves just emphasized fat curvy to my eyes, instead of luscious curvy.


From this angle, it looks good doesn't it, but from the front, I just looked wide. I could make it in a drapier fabric, but then the lines would be lost, so the pattern is getting moved to a better place.


Btw - this makes Fabric Mart bundle fabrics 0 for 5. I think I should jettison all the bundles I got from them. No matter how nice, they just have never worked for me. I don't know if it's guilt from buying so much or lack of respect for their neverending yards, but they all end up duds.

Sportacus Take 2

For Halloween 2005, I made Connor a Sportacus costume. I got an email from a Canadian lady a couple of weeks ago, asking if I would make an adult version for her daughter's birthday. Today, I mailed if off to Canada.

To be honest, I don't enjoy making costumes. They're more fun than home dec (which makes me want to cry), but not a whole lot better. And, superhero costumes are so bitty and fiddly, especially in nylon/lycra.


This is 'my' Sportacus (gratuitous cute kid shot):



This is the real Sportacus:

Isn't he delish? :)

I ordered the dancewear nylon/lycra from Denver Fabrics and used Kwik Sew 3029:

Lots of fiddling about and steam-a-seam, we have:

I tried on the pieces to stress test them and they performed very well. I'm not too thrilled with the badge I made, but I sew, I don't craft.

Natasha, the Mom, promised pictures from the party. I have my fingers crossed that the costume performs well. It's my first adult male dance costume.

The WTH of the whole experience.

I tried on the pants to make sure it looked right. How come my tush (not male, not dance-y, not size medium) looked like a million dollars in them? Years, countless yards of paper and fabric, and I find size M KS men's pants is where I should be. Seriously, what's with that?

I *am miffed at* Debbie Bliss's pattern.

Edit: I had to change the title from "I hate DB" to " I'm miffed at DB's pattern" - because there's too much bad energy out there - & because - really I'm as much to blame as the pattern.

My little guy in a gansey-style sweater from "How to Knit". The yarn is a beautiful and silky (although a little splitty) Luxury Cotton DK from Rowan.

My temper has cooled a little on Ms. Bliss, because it's really just my fault. I borrowed the book back in August of last year. I thought it'd be a great practice sweater to learn Western knitting. (I'm an Eastern style knitter.)

I looked at the size chart and thought, "Wow, these are HUGE for kids" and so made the 2-3 year old pattern for my 4-5 year old. Guess what? It's still huge for a 4-5 year old. And mine is a big 4-5er. But, get this, the neckline is for a 3 year old.

So, what are my choices? Connor loves it, but says it's the arms are too big. I could just wait the body out for a year and re-knit the neck appropriately sized for his age. Or - frog the whole thing, treat the yarn for the kinks and knit him something else. Gah! I think I'll let it rest for a while.

I'll take him to my LYS and get some yarn for the quicko cheapo. The poor kid just wants a sweater to wear.

Oh - why all the negativity? She specialises in kids' knits - beautiful designs. Why the ridiculous sizing? It's true to gauge, knit correctly, blocked right, so there should have been some logic to the sizes. That's why I sort of trusted it, but I really should have just gone with my gut and left it alone. As it is, I'm leaving her patterns alone.

A little decadent, no?

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Thanks Melody!