knowing your weaknesses...

I needed a case for my phone (since it was stupidly designed with the camera lens sticking out instead of laying flush). I really didn't want one of those ugly rubber band things. I found a few on etsy that I liked but couldn't see myself spending the $50 + shipping for the leather one that I liked the most.

I used a animal skin faux leather that I have had in my stash for a while (I made a tote and a portfolio case out of it in college and have plans for a handbag and an entire set of matching luggage.), some scraps from my fall floral shirt and a button from my button box. I ripped and re-did this like 3 times before I had to give up for the day. After sleeping on it I realized that I was going about it all wrong. On something this small you can't stitch leather right sides together and then turn. The seam allowance is too bulky. I forgot about that. I was able to salvage what I had and I simply topstitched it with the wrong sides together. No flipping right side out necessary.

I like the end result but I am never doing that again. Small accessories are not my bag, baby.

Sewing Karma: Week 2 April 12-18, 2010

April 12-18, 2010
Total points earned this week: 21
Total points spent this week: 5
Total accumulation: 22

Lint trap skirt – Sewing Projects | BurdaStyle.com
+5pts
(This should have been counted last week)

Darning my first sock

+3pts
Learning a new skill
+5
Blogging about it
+5

Darning the toes of 2 pairs of tights I wore this week
+3pts

I started a new job this week and my time management skills are a bit off while I get used to my new schedule. There was also some much needed socializing with some friends. Regardless, my free time was at a premium and mostly devoted to eating dinner and keeping up with my Google Reader and so very little got done in the way of sewing. I am designating Monday as my sewing day. Which is sort of failing as I have spent half of today blogging...

I had brunch with my mom yesterday at The Blind Faith Cafe. It is a fabulous vegetarian cafe and bakery that also has lots of vegan options as well (though I am a die hard meat eater). I had a Brie and Apple sandwich with cranberry chutney and Mom had peach crepes with corn, ricotta and a yummy maple rum sauce. We meant to go look in some of the cute shops in the area and wound up only going to Vogue Fabrics. Mom was laughing at me the whole time because I was a little kid in a candy store. "oh! Look at this!" " Oooo. Look at this one. This would be a great blouse!" Selfish Seamstress also paid a visit to Vogue on her recent trip to Chicago. I have always preferred the Evanston location because of the location and also because I felt like they had more stuff. It has been a while and I will have to re-check out the downtown location. She also does not share with you the amazing wool wall. It is my favorite. There is also an entire interior decorating room that I have found some awesomeness in. The remnant room is the crowing glory. I like it because the remnants are actually usable lengths and they have EVERYTHING there. Fancy silk to wool suiting to poly blends to interfacing and quilting cotton. Needless to say I lost some self control

Vogue Remnants

-5pts
I found four 1yd bundles of this nautical cotton print. It had my name written all over it. At first I thought a blouse but I also found a bundle of navy blue stretch silk that would be even better as a blouse with this as a skirt. Mom suggested a dress and I immediately thought of Sunni's naughty Secretary Dress. I think I like it as separates better because it will be more versatile. I am thinking a vintage pattern for the blouse and something simple and a-line for a skirt. But I am definitely open to ideas.

Mom also bought me a present of this fantastic cotton. I was obsessing and coveting it.

It is very light and drapes nicely but has a bit of body because of the weave. The triangle on the bottom corner is the wrong side of the fabric. It is actually a bit brighter in reality. The dots are yellow, orange, pink and olive green. I was thinking a cute sheath style dress with a wrap made with the wrong side out. The light neutral-ness is not usually something that looks good on me, it washes me out, but the dots are bright so Mom was thinking of using some of that on the neckline to bring more brightness near my face. They also have a dark medium blue version that was also great but I thought this was better. I am open to ideas for this as well.

Wow. I just got super excited just thinking about it. I am such a nerd.

And this perfectly describes what it felt like upon waking this AM.

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I can't resist a good lolcat.

processing backlog...

I have started making a spreadsheet for all my patterns and I want to do all the fabric stash as well as one for projects I want to make. complete with images and sizes and fiber content and date. I am having a few glitches with excel, like how to you put an image IN a cell, on a mac? I love this project for times I need a break from creating and i think it will help with my 2010 project goals but it kinda feels like this sometimes (like when I spend an inordinate amount of time futzing with excel and still not getting what I want)


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something knitty...

I haven't had a knitting related post in awhile. My knitting is in a state of a very steady plateau. I have a core group of a handful of projects that sort of rotate in and out of my hands. This has sort of been the case for the past year or two. Occasionally a new small project will enter the bunch but I have been primarily working on the same few projects with out anything new for awhile. That includes buying yarn. I haven't bought yarn in awhile but I only buy yarn if I have project in mind for it (regardless if I actually make that project with that yarn or even at all.) I have a much larger fabric stash than a yarn stash.
I spent the night at one of my best friend's house a few nights ago and one of the things we did, well started, while her baby was napping was go through her knitting stash. She has a bunch of vintage patterns that she received from her uncle's mother in law. She didn't really know what to do with them because most of the patterns she either didn't like or didn't really think she would ever make. I suggested ebaying them. Keeping or xeroxing the few patterns she liked and selling the rest. Vintage is hot right now. She told me to take ones that I liked and I brought home these two:

I love the girls dress (made in the largest size as a tunic over leggings), the vest, and I am extremely intrigued by the bobble helmet and knee socks in the Blarneyspun booklet. The other booklet has some really wonderful late 50's cardigans as well as several men's patterns.

almost forgotten...

I brought these home form my parents house a couple of weeks ago. Some of it I had forgotten i had. I am very excited about the patterns since I was lamenting having to buy some since they are so expensive. And all the little bits are very fun and should spruce some of my upcoming projects.