Holiday Transition

Tags

garland, swag, Valentine's Day decor

Well it’s Jan 27, and the only reason the Christmas tree came down today was the “cold day” from school. Per my previous post, I was swamped with grading for the past two weekends in a row. Now that the forensics season is in full swing, tournaments last all day Saturday so until March 29 (state when our season ends), I’m short one full day of grading. However, a few weekends ago, I just needed that mental break from reading horrid writing. My mental breaks usually involve something crafty with my hands because I find the creativity invigorating. Therefore, I made some more holiday garland (as I’m recently obsessed with this quick, cheap, and easy way to decorate). 

I have lots of scrapbook paper to use up and it’s not being used for much else so I made hearts and strung them on grey wool yarn!!! 

Happy Valentine’s Day!! 

The Christmas tree is still up in this photo. Hehe.

I took an assortment of red, pink, and purple (in all shades) scrapbook card stock and made two pieces of garland that are hung vertically on either side of the opening of the living room. To balance it, I put the hearts in the same colored order. (And yep, that’s my dress form sporting a UFO). 

 

 

 

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Torture

Tags

grading

I love sewing so much. Finals week as a high school Eng teacher is pure torture. I won’t even bore you with the details/numbers of papers/exams I have to grade. But the worst part is that all I want is to start sewing my next garment. My main motivation for grading like a psychopath is knowing that the following week I can spread out beautiful fabric on the floor instead of spreading out horrid essays. I will grade until my eyes bleed green ink and then, finally in another week I will reward myself with starting a new garment! 

Best Winter Day Yet!

Tags

skating, winter fun

When I moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, my sister and I and our friends went ice skating on an outdoor rink right next to Lake Superior. It was the best Fri/Sat night activity ever. Because our house was the closest to the rink, after skating we would all come back there and drink hot cocoa and watch a movie. When I moved to WI for college and then settled here, I’ve really missed skating. I’v always wanted to skate in the winter as a form of exercise. Then we bought our house on 1.5 acres. Score! Enough room for an ice rink! Well, my husband did not really want the grass to get “ruined” and how would we haul that water out there anyway? Yeah. Well yesterday/last night, the temperatures rose, the snow melted, it rained and it froze. Our entire driveway is now an ice rink!!!!!!!!! Sweet!!!!!!!! It’s a little bumpy because the ground is uneven, but totally skate-able. I yelled for my husband to come take pictures of me. He did. Haha. I skated for about 15 min back and forth, up and down my drive way and got a nice little work out. It’s a shame the ice won’t stay. This is by far the highlight of my winter!!

HSF #1 – Make do and mend – upcycled 18th century mitts completed

Tags

18th century fingerless mitts, HSF 14 challenge #1, Make do and mend, winter crafts

I’m participating this year. I’m so excited. I feel it will really give my sewing direction and purpose, not that it lacked that in the past, but knowing that a project I started before Christmas fit one of the challenges and then putting in that last stitch and getting to photograph myself was very rewarding! 

I wrote about this project before while it was in process, but now it is all finished! As of now, I don’t have an event to wear my new mitts to, but I don’t care. I will find one!! I do have a worsted wool gown in rose that will go nicely with the embroidery pattern on the mitts, but I would like a nice fancy jacket to go with the mitts as well. 

Me modeling my new mitts (in the back staircase of the 1843 log cabin part of our house)

The mitts

And now a silly picture…..

Twiggy was intrigued as to why we were posing on the stairs

Here are the details of the project: 

The Challenge: #1 – Make do and mend 

Fabric: Cream (or ivory) colored wool 

Pattern: my arm (I looked at a few examples online for the embroidery pattern and noticed it was a herringbone/X style with a little flourish at the end. I need my mitts to come over my elbow I realized. Otherwise they don’t keep me warm at all. 

Year: 18th century……ummmm…

Notions: linen thread for sewing the new width and tacking down the raw edges; pink silk died with cochineal bugs! 

Accuracy: Fairly, though I didn’t have enough left over fabric to construct thumb pieces and not many of the pictures I’ve seen online are without thumb pieces, so I’m not really sure. (If anyone cares to weigh in on this, I’d be curious and welcome any suggestions). 

First worn: taking pictures! But not to an event yet

Total cost: I don’t remember how much the sweater cost back 10 years ago, so I’m not counting it and only counting the cost of the notions which was $5.00 total (3 for the linen thread and 2 for silk embroidery thread). Yay! 

Two days more of break

Tags

boredom, extended vacation, winter break

I lucked out. I really did. My husband had school last week Thurs/Fri and I did not because my district gave us a full two weeks off (which I have not experiences since I was a small kid in school). So I lazed about for two days, sewing, eating slowly while watching something on tv, reading, grading, sewing some more. Then the temperatures dropped and he and I both had Monday off, and then today (Tues). I love it sooooo much!!! All the other teachers are freaking out about lesson plans and tests, but is it really worth the stress? No. Life goes on. There are more important things to worry about. I don’t have kids to keep entertained and the cat has been sleeping most of the day (I’m assuming still part of her recovery process from Christmas vacation in Iowa with her three new kitty friends or she just sleeps more because of old age; she is 8 after all). So yeah it’s just me, with nothing to do here in my little house!!! 

I love gorgeous fabric – don’t you?!

Tags

fabric

Even before I have projects in mind, I buy fabric. My stash is still small, so I luckily have the space! Though I only have one purple room in my house, I love the soft hues of lavenders, orchids, and violets. Here is a giveaway from fabricworm.com!!! Look at this lovely bunch of purple fabrics! 

http://fabricworm.blogspot.com/2014/01/fabricworm-giveaway-pantones-color-of.html

2013 Sewing Project Completions

Tags

18th century, 18th century fingerless mitts, finished projects, Regency linen apron, Regency petticoat

Already listed in the previous post, here are the photos. 

Regency petticoat with straps – yellow flannel

Close up of waist band

 

My dress form is a bit larger than me under the bust; it buttons completely when I wear the petticoat.

 

Under the dress

 

Brown linen apron (fabric left over from an 18th cent petticoat)

Close up of waist band and top part stitching

 

Inside stitching – not a lot of time to complete so all the edges are just a rolled hem.

 

18th cent fingerless mitts (upcycled from wool sweater)

New year, same projects

Tags

1800 - 1815, Regency, Regency half robe, sewing projects

Last year in January I posted this list for my 2013 sewing projects. While I have sewed several things, none of them were on the upper part of the list.

I made my bedgown which turned out fabulously well and I love wearing it. In the last week of Christmas vacation, I decided I just had to have the Regency half robe. The fashion fabric is gorgeous; I don’t own anything quite like it in my historical clothing wardrobe. I had striped fabric in my stash that went smashingly well with the tiny flower printed fabric. And I used the striped fabric for an 18th century petticoat, so I figure, when I wear my new Regency garment, I can tell people, yes, I ripped up my petticoat to line this new fashionable garment!

For my half robe, I used the top part of my Regency dress from Reconstructing History because I really like the way it fits. Then, I added two square bits to the outside bust area that will have a channel sewn into both top and bottom so it will close with gathers. (I did not have any tiny twill tape, but I had lots of embroidery floss, so I braided myself a little rope!!! I’m such a resourceful Girl Scout). Then I just cut two rectangles for the skirt panels and measured the length based on where I wanted it to hit me on the hip area. So far, all the bodice pieces are lined and the other pieces are cut out. Everything just needs to go together!

Fashion fabric

Sketch of final prodcut

View of back (and Twiggy posing beneath dress form…..sneaky kitty)

Bodice pieces

Lining

Hopefully I can get this to fit with one of the HSF challenges and will post final pictures then!

 

I also made the following this summer/fall which were not on the list:

1. Regency yellow petticoat

2. Regency brown linen apron

3. 18th cent fingerless mitts

4. 18th cent dish bag

5. Modified hems on two petticoats