Saturday, May 07, 2016

The SWAP photo shoot...

...such as it is.  We are allowed, I think, 15 photos, but I really didn't have that much patience and I didn't want to impose on My Sweet Babboo any more than necessary.

All but 2 garments were in two pictures; I woulda had to repeat a pair of pants to get that second photo of the gray T shirt and gray knit cardi.

But I think there are enough photos to get the idea.

If  I did the math right, I could have 49 unique outfits from this combo, given that I can use the camp shirt as a 3rd layer over the knit shirts.

Anyway ...here's the whole wardrobe:

I wasn't happy with the light on the composite and tried various things to make them all look the same. But I just couldn't get them there...


And a smattering of combos.  For some reason the gray jacket didn't want to play nice today.  I think if I make it again (and I probably will) I will narrow the shoulders a bit.  Or maybe I just need to pull the shoulder pads out after all.  But it honestly looks much better in the mirror.







...and a reminder to my giveaway winners, Debbie and Marilyn...Yahoo has been squirrelly and ate some of my emails.  Including the ones with your addresses.  Could you resend to tig77LW at yahoo dotcom?  Thanks!!!

Thursday, May 05, 2016

Egg On Face... A notice for the giveaway winners...

After focusing on finishing the SWAP, I finally sat down to match addresses with boxes.

And I found that about half of the addresses were, um, missing.

Despite the fact that I 'starred' them so I would NOT inadvertently delete them, it looks like I nonetheless inadvertently deleted some.

So...  could I get Amy Bailes,   Marilyn, Debbie and Kathleen to resend your mailing addresses to me?

I'm determined to get these things out in the mail within the next week!  Y'all probably thought I forgot...lol...

tig77LW at yahoo dotcom, if you need a reminder...

Thanks so much!!!  And...mea culpa... :-)

Sunday, May 01, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 0501 and the Purple dress...

As I said yesterday, the irony of making a gray-and-black SWAP, basically for choir (we've worn gray and black for the basics for the last 6 months) is that...the day after I finish, we remove gray and black from the lineup for summer.

May's colors are Navy, Tan and Coral.

But I have a bit of that already in the closet, so we're good.  It's just not new.
Coral rayon blend jersey Jalie 2919 Pleated Cardigan, with a bit of modification in the sleeve and back;   a RTW guipure lace tank over a navy blue rayon jersey Jalie 965 Cami/Tank top, with Tencel twill Loes Hinse Oxford pants that, in one of my tweaking iterations, came out with wider legs than standard.
 And, we have a special event at church tonight that really leans towards a bit dressier attire than is typical, so I decided to pull out the new Toni Designer Dress from the SWAP. 
(I may yet change my mind and chicken out, as I haven't really gotten the photos I want for the SWAP set...and I'm just a little apprehensive about doing something to damage it before I get the photos...)

But, I need photos for a review of the pattern, too, and these are probably good enough for it.  

My Sweet Babboo just shook his head when he first saw it; The Flute Player did photography duty for the dress and she was fine with it until I pulled out the corners.

But, based on the fact that 4 out of 5 of the patterns that I got in the batch from Amazon has pockets, I'm thinking that the designers at SA totally get the pocket codependency that I live with.


  The dress is rayon challis, and so very, very lightweight.  It will be a dream to wear in the heat of summer, but it's a little damp and airish tonight, so I'm also risking the new cardigan...which does tone down the oddity of the dress.

Somewhat.

Love me some fun and funky stuff...when I can...



Saturday, April 30, 2016

2016 SWAP Wardrobe DONE!

...with about 7 hours to spare...lol.

All eleven garments have been completely constructed since 1/1/16;  all but 1 of them have been completed since 4/14/16.  That was the day I almost threw in the towel, since I didn't have much accomplished from my original centered-around-a-denim-jacket plan.

But I had a flash of insight about the original SWAP goal...sew a quick wardrobe of useful coordinates from Tried-N-True patterns.  So I reworked the plan for Quick, Proven and Useful.

Actually, it's all stuff that I've been meaning to make, in one way or another, for quite some time.   The Style Arc dress was a venture into the unknown, but the purple challis had been earmarked for a dress; I just couldn't decide on the pattern. Since I was in the safe zone...I'd finished 10 garments...I decided to have some fun with the last one.

But here are some preliminary photos:


Pack A - Black:  McCall's 6844 Cardigan, from very nice RPL double knit; Jalie 2682 V-neck top from a rayon/lycra blend fairly beefy knit; Loes Hinse Oxford Pants (modified w/ fly zip from her Europeans) from a gray/taupe pinstripe tropical wool.

Pack B - Gray - New Look 6272 drape front jacket, modified for single-layer front, from gray wool crepe I won in a blog giveaway from Rhonda Buss about 3 year ago;  Loes Hinse Oxford pants, modified for a boot cut line, from stretch RPL woven suiting; cream stripe on gray, and a dark gray modal/lycra Jalie 2566 T.  I wanted a lighter shade of gray, but all the silvery gray knits I had looked purpley against the gray of the pants and the jacket, so I went with charcoal.


 Wild Card Pack - Pamela's Patterns Cool Cardigans Drape Front jacket in 4-way stretch rayon jersey, heathery gray, Vogue 8669 cowl neck shell (modified for a faced cowl) from rayon/lycra cream rib knit;  Sewing Workshop Helix Pant from a beefy black denim-look ponte knit.

Combo pack:  Louise Cuttings Easy, Ageless Cool campshirt in rayon challis and, as the sole pop of color in the wardrobe, just for fun, Style Arc's Toni Designer dress, also in rayon challis.




The pop of color could've been about anything; and, in all honesty, it WILL be ...I will wear the gray and black duds for choir until they fall apart (the drape front Pamela's Pattern is actually replacing TWO gray knit cardis that have holes in them...).  The camp shirt can also go over tank tops and t's for a top layer.

(note: all 11 garments are in the picture above and again in the picture below)

I'll have to do some better styling for the actual contest submission photos...although I'm not terribly good at styling...but at least you can see how it will work!

And...how ironic...May's choir colors are coral, navy and tan. No black or gray this month!

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Done enough!

Three SWAP garments are in the closet, and have already been photographed in a Choir Wardrobe photo at some point.

Today, I cut out and sewed the white cowl top (still have a thread or two to trim, I see...) and I did the hand work on the pants and camp shirt.

Which brings me to a total of NINE SWAP wardrobe garments completed this year!  All but one of those were finished since I decided to go for it last Thursday.

So I've got enough done to qualify as a completed SWAP...if I don't get the final two garments finished by this time next week, I can pull two 'previously made' garments from the closet.

But I'm going to try to finish those last two.  Just because.

I'm excited.

(PS...if you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, here's a bit of an explanation)

Friday, April 22, 2016

Home Stretch

I may actually finish this.
Did the jacket today...from cutting to finish.  It was a bit of a risk, as I hadn't made it up before, but it's a loose enough style that I figured it didn't have to fit to a T.  And it's actually pretty good.  It needs a good press/steam, and the pants behind it still need hemming, but I'm getting close.

I have 3 garments that just need hand work...hems, buttons...and I have 3 more that need to be made.  But, since the rules allow for two previously made garments that work with the new wardrobe, I really only need one more...and I have a nice cream fabric for a quick cowl neck shell top.  After that, if I can't get two more knit tops made, I can pull something...anything, really, as the SWAP is basic gray and black and cream...from the 'I made this for choir'  wardrobe and put it with the new pieces.

I am going to wear these clothes to shreds....

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

And...the winners of the giveaway....

My goodies are allocated...I started with the most expensive piece of fabric and worked my way down to the one that was the clearance price... If you said you looked good in a color, you were in the drawing for that particular fabric.

3 yards of Navy Zegna silk suiting from Michael, a David Warren suit pattern from Butterick and a copy of Second Stitches goes to ....Marilyn!

4 yards of olive/tan/black tattersal tropical wool from Hancock's...back in the day, sigh....a 1940's retro reprint Simplicity pattern and Jane Conlon's Fine Embellishment Techniques goes to....Debbie!

3 yards of pink linen/rayon eyelet, which is one of the nicest pieces of fabric I've ever bought at a JoAnn's (I believe it came from Cool Springs, TN),  a 3 piece Butterick Wardrobe pattern and a copy of Sewing Secrets from the Fashion Industry  goes to ....Mary Deeter!

2 yards of cross-woven pinpoint cotton shirting from Gorgeous Fabrics, a Kwik Sew classic women's shirt pattern and a copy of Bottom/Chaney's Make it Your Own goes to ....Kathleen Conery!

And 2 1/4 yards of a sylized floral rayon challis in varying shades of olive-y green, gray, black and white,  that I *think* came from Fabric Mart but may have come from Fabric.com... along with a Vogue Basic Designs Shirt pattern and the Baker/Young classic Simply Serge Any Fabric  goes to....Amy Mayer!

And, the truth is, I only had 9 ladies enter the drawing.  So...for the rest of you (Amy Bailes, Susan V., Ann Marie and Amy in SC)...if you will send me your typical Big 4 pattern size, I'll pick a pattern from the stash and send it your way!

So, basically, everyone who entered needs to send her mailing address to tig77lw at yahoo dotcom, and I'll get the goodies out in the mail.


I hope you all enjoy your gifts...so glad you all participated!  And, once again, thanks to everyone who stops by Sew Random!

Now...back to the SWAP sewing...

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 4 17 and almost half a SWAP...

NEW STUFF!
 :-D
Well, mostly new stuff.  And the new stuff is not reviewed yet....I did another view on that McCall's cardigan 6844, made in a pretty substantial black RPL (or maybe PRL) ponte.  I made some Oxford pants from this fabric SEVERAL years ago; this is the last of that piece.  It's really, really nice and has held up well on the pants so I expect the same from the cardigan.

The pants are probably (at the moment, anyway), the most expensive garment in the plan.  It's another exceptional doubleknit; it's kinda tweedy and actually looks a lot like denim.  I got it from Nancy Erikson at the one-and-only time the sewing Expo stopped in Indianapolis, back in 2014.  It was a dream to sew; I actually used the pattern I meant to use when I bought it...Sewing Workshop's Helix pant, although I've modified it somewhat.  One of these days' I'll write a review and tell what I did; but I'm very happy with them.  The only fly in the ointment is that I should have used stouter elastic; with anything at all in the pockets (that I added) the pants kinda drift downward.  But that's definitely a TNT for knit pants now. The trick is finding a suitable knit...

The top has a STORY.

It was the first top I made from Simplicity 2603 (I've made something like 7 or 8 so far...) and it was originally a rather bright coral...  (original 2011 photo)------>


However, there was a laundry mishap shortly after I made it and the attempt to reverse the purple splotching, most of the color was stripped and it was left a weird yellow...with odd orange thread.

I stuffed it in a drawer, where it sat for about a week shy of FIVE YEARS.  Friday I decided it was time to DO SOMETHING about that top.

I pulled out some Rit dye... fuchsia powder and tangerine liquid...and mixed up a batch of dye, guessing (it looked purple in the mixing bucket...) and ran it through.  As you can see, it's considerably more muted than the original, but still within the coral bandwidth, so...it worked.

Am I ever glad to have that out of the junk drawer and back in the closet, although it needs a pinch of mending; it's worn fuzzy at the point where I clipped the CF notch on the band/top.  Guess the 30 minutes of agitation in the dye bath was a bit much.  I'll put a little beading or some lace or something on it cover it up.    But it's good enough for stage wear and, as we're going to be wearing coral both this month (with black and gray for neutrals) AND next month (with navy and tan for neutrals), I can use a little extra coral in the closet.

As of last night, I've made 5 garments for the SWAP plan since I left work on Thursday night, being's how the office is closed on Fridays.  I have a little finish work to do on two...hems and closures...but the other three are completed.

If I can keep going at this rate, I might just make it...

Oh yeah.  There's still a couple of days left in the 10 Year blogiversary giveaway, if you missed the post with the details...

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Half a day...

Thought I'd spend the whole day yesterday whaling away at the SWAP list BUT...

It's going to be in the 80's next week.  Time to switch the fall/winter duds for the spring/summer wardrobe.

We're wearing coral in choir this month and next month.  I have a top that was coral when I made it...um, several years ago.  A laundry mishap resulted in all the color being bleached out of it.  Well, most all the color.  It was left a kind of buff yellow w/ orange topstitiching.  Been meaning to give it a go through a Rit dye bath to see if I could, um, re-coral it; it's just been in a wad in a drawer in the sewing cave.  So, yesterday the bug bit and I re-dyed it using a guesstimation combination of powder fuschia and liquid tangerine.  It actually came out a nice dusky coral color...but the extended agitation caused a wear point in the center front (where the notches were for matching).  It's not going to show from the choir platform, but I know it's there. I may add a bit of lace or beading or something to cover it...but not this week. ;-)

And I had already skipped two weeks on posting my weekly dig-into-original-language Bible study over on the other blog.

So, with one thing and another, it was about 2 PM before I even really got upstairs to start cutting.

I cut pants and one knit top; then found that the pattern that I intended to use for the camp shirt was not traced.  Yeah, I  know, TNT and all, but it's a loose fitting shirt from an indy designer I've used before, so I'm going to brave it.  It was the pattern I wanted.  So I traced it off, then I sewed up the knit top (Jalie 2682, in a rather beefy, super soft modal/lycra knit).  Which completes the A 3-Pack, except for the handwork on the pants.

So...gonna cut some more today.  And sew.  And we'll see what happens.

As I posted on Stitcher's Guild, even if I don't meet the SWAP requirements by two weeks from today, I will at least have pushed myself to sew some basics that I've been needed really badly for a while now.  And that's a good thing.

Besides, it's kinda fun to see if I can do it.

I dunno when I'll get pictures...but I'll post some when I get a chance.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Two down...almost

I sat down last night whilst eating reheated pizza for supper and went over the SWAP plan that I made in January.  I crossed out all the potentially time consuming items (my much needed black denim jacket is going back into the 'make this soon!' list...still don't have a TNT pattern that I want to use for it) and added things I knew I could make quickly, all in the (mostly) black-and-gray family.

Then I hit the two In Progress items and finished the black doubleknit McCall's 6844 (non-pepblum view) cardigan and took the tropical wool pinstripe Oxford pants to the hand work; they just need a trouser hook-and-eye and hemming.

I have about 3 garments I'm going to cut out today, and I'm going to try to get at least one finished before bed tonight...

Think I'll start by putting a fresh blade in the rotary cutter... :-D

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Puchyer Head Down and SEW!

Haven't done that in AGES..

But, we're coming up on the end of April.

Which is the sewing deadline for the 2016 Stitcher's Guild SWAP 'contest' (I'm not aware of any prizes for it this year...it's just for the fun of it).

Now, I've sewn about...two...maybe...garments that are compatible with my SWAP plan.  I was about to write it off.

But...then I recollected the original idea of SWAP:

Pick TNT patterns, and QUICKLY sew up an 11-piece collection that coordinates.  Bingo.  Instant wardrobe.

I've got two weekends ahead of me.  Next weekend has some busy to it...Sunday will be an 'I'll be at church all day long' kinda deal...but this weekend is blissfully uncommitted.

I'm gonna give it a run.  Just to see.  How fast can I sew?

Taking a deep breath...GO!

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Workwear 25

I said I'd try to post a photo of the lacy vest I got from the Z flower retailer;  had to do the ol' set-the-timer-and-jump-in-front-of-the-camera routine again, but at least you can get an idea of what it looked like.

I had to secure a few long thread tails this morning before I could wear it.  I have to say, I have not been impressed with the quality of stuff from the Z folks.

But it was kinda fun to wear.  One of my co-workers said I was going retro today...and I replied that, since I never owned a lacy/macrame' vest back in the day, I could wear it today.  :-).

It's over modified Loes Hinse Oxford pants (I added the flare to the legs) and a long sleeved Jalie 2566 T shirt.

And I made a stop at Hobby Lobby on the way home from work and a lady asked me if I made my necklace, since I was buying jewelry goodies.  When I said I did, she asked if I sold them.

Maybe I should have asked her to make me an offer?  LOL.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Post number 1800 and the Postponed 10 year Blogiversary Celebration

Eighteen hundred blog posts.  Hard to believe.

That's, like, a book or something...

But it's been a fuzz over ten years.

I wanted to do a big 'reader appreciation' giveaway back in November, when the actual ten year blogiversary happened, but we were up to our endurance limit with a home remodel that had half the house barricaded and under construction, and the other half crammed jammed to the nearly non-navigable point with the contents of the rooms being rebuilt. I couldn't even begin to think about pulling stuff out of the stashes at that state...and  the celebration got postponed.  Somehow I thought it would be good to put it at the 1800 post mark.

I will admit, it took me longer to reach the 1800 posts than I thought it would, but that gave me time to pull some goodies to send  along.

I'm not going to detail them...but I'll say that each box has fabric w/ one of five different fibers (silk, linen, rayon, cotton and wool -- all wovens) a suitable pattern for the fabric and a book from the bookshelf.

Because I have more fabric and more patterns than I can expect to ever sew my way through,  and more books than I have time to appreciate, and something like 200 followers that I know of who have read the blog, commented on the blog, encouraged me, corrected me, and bailed me out over the past ten years.  Some of you I've met in real life; some are facebook friends, and some have enabled my fabric and stash accumulation.

So it's time for a little payback love for folks who have hung with me in the past few years.

Here's the deal: you have to be a follower of the blog.  Somewhere, somehow.

But I'm going to take your word for it...because I probably can't go check everywhere and make sure.

So...to enter the giveaway:

1) Leave a comment ON THIS POST.  In the past, I've pulled comments from all posts in the allotted time frame, but for this one, I'm just pulling off of this post.  Easier to keep track of. ;-)

2) In the comment,  leave your name,  how you follow the blog, how long you've been following the blog,  and whether you look best in blue, pink or olive green. :-)

3) If you feel motivated to comment on today's post but your fabric and pattern stashes are at the explosion point and you don't want to be included in the giveaway, just say so.  You don't have to enter to comment...but you have to comment to enter. :-)

4)  I'll do a random drawing in a week to pick the folks who will get the goodies.

And thanks to EVERYONE for your support of Sew Random through the years!

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Choir Wardobe 4/10/16

April's Choir colors are black, gray and coral.

90% of my coral wardrobe pieces are still packed up in the spring/summer wardrobe...which I probably won't get  switched until next weekend.

But my coral Jalie Pleated cardigan was still in the closet, as was my grayscale striped silk jersey Vogue 8669 shell top.  Black jeans that I hoped would stay dark black longer.

The flatironed hair is still garnering compliments.  Probably back to curls tomorrow...

Next post will be a biggie...not sure when I'll get it up, other than before the next Choir post! ;-)

Thursday, April 07, 2016

So...now what????

I had noticed a problem with photos...here and there, kinda randomly, photos were disappearing from the blog posts.  They ...just weren't there.

Then I clicked on a photo from one of my reviews...one that was linked to my  collection of review photos in Picasa.

And got a 'this page is missing' notice.

Odd.

Then I noticed that my entire album of review photos was missing.

Now that'll give you a sinking feeling.

Then I noticed a yellow box at the top.  'An important message from Picasa.  Click to learn more.' it read.

Well.  Here we go again.

After much thought and consideration, we’ve decided to retire Picasa over the coming months in order to focus entirely on a single photo service in Google Photos.

Yahoo photos went away.  Photoworks went away.  Now Picasa is going away.

But Picasa is the host site for all the Blogger photos.  What is going to happen to all of the photos linked to the blogs????  

Oy.  This makes my head hurt. 

And I still don't know what happened to the missing photos... 

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Choir Wardrobe: Easter Weekend


 Three days of services ...because there's just not room in our converted-retail-space facility to get everyone in at once.  So we have services on Friday and Saturday for the 'regular' folks, some of whom bring family from other churches, so as to leave room in the three services on Sunday for the folks who don't come so regularly.

And, as usual on days when it just seems silly to talk about what I wore, I'll refer newcomers to the 'What's the choir wardrobe?' post linked on the sidebar to explain why I wander into such shallow waters.

March choir colors are gray, black and mint green...and the greens look much closer in color in real life than they do in these photos!  One looks almost blue, one looks almost white...but, truly, they're all minty green...a little lighter or darker but still close enough.

Friday night kicked off with comfy stuff...the new modified, as-yet-unreviewed  Vogue 9057 green T that was almost a disaster...I'm thinking I might shorten it a bit; it's just a bit on the sloppy side of long, I think.  I think the print version that I made earlier this year is a wee bit long, too, so I think I'm just going to fold a tuck in the pattern to adjust future iterations.  I need to make the sleeve a pinch longer if I want to roll it up; not sure if I want to go that trendy.

I'm wearing it with a vest from the May, 2008 edition of Burda World of Fashion, made from a strange stretchy poly that was, according to the online vendor,  stretch charmeuse, but was a heavy matte-back gray satin that was horrible to sew.  I had one wadder from the fabric, but managed to get a vest that is somewhat useful.  The comfy comes from the dark gray double knit Sewing Workshop Helix Pants, which also have not been reviewed yet, and also which you could see better if the kitty wasn't being friendly.


Saturday, we started the process of adding another vehicle to the family by wandering around a car lot trying on various models to see which ones actually felt like I could see out of them (my number one criteria for a vehicle I drive.  Amazing how many different manufacturers are following the same style and making the rear window teeny...).

But, it took a lot longer than we'd planned and the afternoon went by way faster than I'd expected. So, even though it doesn't look like it, I felt really thrown together.  Went with black and mint;  cotton/lycra Daphne pants from Fred Bloebum,  poly herringbone Bistro Jacket from Loes Hinse,  ...and a RTW, mail-order experiment.  I'm sure you've all seen advertisements from an online vendor whose name starts with a 'Z' and ends with a flower...some very cool, funky, interesting pieces.  I'd read some rather favorable comments on their customer service, a couple of my friends had made purchases they were happy with, so I thought.weeeellll,  maybe I'll give them a try on something I can't find fabric for.

I was a little disgruntled to see that you have to create an account before you can even browse the site.   And I really didn't see anything like the tops that were in the facebook ads. But I did find a crochet vest and a lacy mint green top, so I decided to give it a go.

Well, I discovered another thing I didn't see in print anywhere when I ordered...these folks take orders for stuff for a specified amount of time; once the time has expired, THEN they place the order with their supplier.

So the stuff I ordered on March 2 actually arrived March 22...because I ordered early in the 'event'.  Now, that's their business model and that's how, they say, they keep the prices low.  They also don't allow returns, although they do work with folks if something is clearly defective or misrepresented or doesn't fit.  But...this ain't those instant-ship shoe folks. 

So...when the merchandise arrived, I was pleased to see that the size chart worked and the vest and the top both fit.  The vest...which I'll try to get photographed sometime soon...is a nice enough poly-cotton and is created by sewing various bits of crochet or crochet-like fabrics into the vest shape.  I'll wear it and enjoy it, I think.

The mint top...oy, it's not really what I expected.  I don't remember how they described it, but the fabric is created by wooly-nylon satin stitching somehow.  It's sort of like eyelet, only...snaggy wooly nylon thread.  I had to dab fray-check on several spots so I could trim dangly bits without  the overstitching unraveling.  And the lacy stuff is over a lining, which is exceedingly cheap tricot.  I had to wear a cami under it.  The back is split, which I knew, but it exposes that cheap lining.  It really looks pretty bad..  It will NEVER BE WORN without a top layer.

But...truth be told, it's stage wear.  And from 10 feet away, the ugly really isn't discernible.   So it will do when we wear mint green in choir.  And I was right...I was looking for garments in fabrics I couldn't buy and, well, that's exactly what this is...lol.

Will I buy more stuff from the Z people?  Um...maybe.  But I'm going to read all descriptions very carefully and not assume anything.

Easter Sunday had a rainy forecast...gray RTW jeans,  my light gray Jalie 2566 T, and the ALSO un-reviewed McCall's 6844 matelasse knit cardigan, that turned out to be borderline too warm for the building today. Dunno if the AC wasn't quite working what, but I kept pulling it off in the conference room, where I was working with some volunteers to get a jump on the data entry that always follows a major outreach like Easter weekend.  I actually attended the Friday night service, then spent the rest of the weekend services working on the data entry, when I wasn't singing in the choir. Bur I got warm, just sitting and working, so this jacket is probably not going to see much use between, say, March and October.  It's cozy.

So, to everyone who stops by Sew Random...I pray the blessings of the day would touch you! 

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 3/20/16 - The Oops Edition

March Choir Colors are black, gray and mint green.

But just to glance at what I wore today...Gray Jalie Jean Jacket, black RTW sweater shell and black pinstripe modified Loes Hinse Oxfords...you'd think we were still in the grayscale month of February.


There's a hint of mint in my earrings, which you really can't see.  I actually put on a mint green scarf this morning and then took it off when I ate breakfast so, you know, I wouldn't dribble egg yolk or something on it.

And I forgot to put it back on.  Didn't even think about it till I got to church and saw everyone else's mint green and realized mine was MIA.

Oh, well.  At least I won't be repeating myself during the three days of services at the end of the week.

Friday, March 18, 2016

New patterns to try

I've been looking at the Style Arc patterns for quite some time; many, many folks have paid the shipping from Australia and been very happy with the garments they made from them.

I just wasn't sure they were different enough from what is available on this side of the pond to spring for the shipping.

But Style Arc has printed some multi-sized patterns and they are available through Amazon...and they had a significant sale last week, so I ordered, um, a few:
Of course, right after I ordered them, there were comments on the sewing discussion boards that the CAD-rendered multi-sized patterns  may not have the same fit that the single-sized patterns sold from Australia were reported to have.   Sigh.

But I thought these  (the Designer Daisy pants and Tunic came in the same packet) were unique enough that they might be worth a go.  We'll see.

On other news, I am pulling stuff for the postponed ten year giveaway. I think it's 5 posts away... :-)

Sunday, March 13, 2016

The Story of the Green T...

So, the most recent purchases have been sewn.

This is amazing...it's mid March, and I'm showing more yards out than yards in.

We are setting new standards over here, my friends....

But, well, let me tell you a little story about why I should not sew at night...

I ordered a yard and a half of a rather darkish mint green fabric; the generous cutter sent two yards.

Yay...maybe I'll get a T and a Tank from the yardage...if I cut carefully.

I had altered the sleeves on View A of Marcy Tilton's Vogue 9057; I've been wanting a TNT pattern for a relaxed fit, short-sleeved, shirt-tail -hemmed T shirt, and, as my rayon/lycra jersey was very drapey and floppy, I thought it would be a good candidate.  I was just a few inches (like, 2 1/2) short of having enough to cut the front and back on the same lengthwise fold (hindsight; I should've folded 1 1/4" out of the length on both front and back; the top is plenty long...).

So, I folded carefully and cut the back, then folded carefully and cut...a second back. Oy.  It took some crafty folding to get the front on, since the fabric was not quite long enough for two lengths.  But I managed to get it done, and I barely had enough width left in one spot to get the neckband.

Trotted downstairs and sewed the shoulder seams, sewed the band seam, then proceeded to put the neckband on.

Then It Happened.

The thing that happens once in a very great while.

The fabric crawled up under itself and I didn't realize it until I noticed there were multiple shreds coming off the serger knife.

Oy again.

It was cut too far into the fabric to salvage.  What to do what to do what to do...Wait!  I cut TWO BACKS!

Pulled the neckband off, unpicked the serged shoulder seams, and trotted upstairs and swapped the spare back...which was in the scrap box...for the chopped up back.

Trotted back downstairs and promptly sewed the left back shoulder to the right front shoulder.

Oy again again.

I unpicked it, sewed the shoulder seams, pinned on the neckband and WENT TO BED.

The next day I got up and with very little other trouble finished it off.

And then somehow didn't manage to get a photo of it by iteslf today.

I could easily have shortened it 1 1/4 inches...but, oh well. Mint green, gray and black are the choir colors;  black Lee jeans, and the ubiquitous Jalie drape front cardi.

And that's it for sewing mint this season.

I cut out the first actual garment in the SWAP plan...Loes Hinse' Oxfords, with the zipper from the Euros, from a really nice tropical wool pinstripe.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to think I'm going to finish all the garments for the SWAP by the end of next month, but I can get some of them done...maybe...lol

Monday, March 07, 2016

Workwear....24?

Tried another spot for the 'jump in front of the camera' shot...don't think I like that one, either...I had to put the camera on a lower shelf to get my feet in the photo, but the angle looks weird to me.  So I'll try another spot next time...

But I wanted to post a photo 'cause it's the blue fabric that was too sheer for a t-shirt, made up in the Jalie 2919 Cardigan . (Stops to count) 

That's cardi number 6 from that pattern, if I'm counting right.  With my favorite modifications of 3/4 length tabbed sleeves and a fishtail back.

The white shirt is kinda interesting; it came from an outlet store, and the 'french' cuffs are really not done correctly.  But it's a princess-seamed shirt, and the side panels are white knit.  So it's  a rather forgiving top.  I bought it last August; and this is the first time I've worn it, due to the weird cuffs, which I have intended to fix but can't seem to get around to it.  But, turned up over the sleeves they don't look as wonky.

Maybe I've found the way to make it work...

Sunday, March 06, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 03 06 16



March colors: black, gray and mint green.  We've done mint green...or close enough...off and on in the last 3-4 years and, while I've made mint green stuff  I've never really been happy with it.  So I decided to try again and ordered a couple of pieces of mint green, which arrived early last week.  Friday night I traced/altered McCall's 6844 (there are 140 reviews for that on PatternReview; I'm late to the show...).  Yesterday I cut it out and sewed it up from one of the new arrivals, a matelasse double knit.  I wore it with  a Jalie 2566 t shirt, made up in one of the pieces that arrived in January, a wonderfully yummy viscose/lycra jersey, and gray Lee jeans.  And a sort-of-mint-green necklace that had belonged to my grandmother.

I have to admit, the matelasse fabric reminds me of jackets worn by grandmas who wintered in Florida (yeah, my grandma was one) back in the 70's, but it's the right color so I went for it.  And the cardi pattern, while not wonderfully flattering on me from all angles, as shown by the side shot with the horizontal line right where I really don't need any emphasis, is at least not a 'leisure suit' type of jacket that would've been worn 40 years ago.  I really think that one of the other views without that waistline seam might be more flattering on me, although I will say that that granny fabric made a wonderfully comfy jacket; it's a rayon blend and doesn't feel  plasticy-polyestery like those 70's double knits at all.

And a random lady from the congregation complemented me on the jacket; said she thought it was really, really pretty.  I'm trying to pretend she wasn't probably 15 years older than me...

Thursday, March 03, 2016

A little in...a little out...

Mint green is coming up in choir...and that is one color I struggle with; I've made a couple of pieces but haven't been satisfied.  And we have Easter this month...which means extra services.

So I took advantage of a recent sale and got a couple of mintish green pieces of fabric to try again.  Let's see if I can get something through the machine in time to wear it Sunday...

But meantime I finished up the last of the tops I cut out last month...a wild print from EOS, made up in the least wild view of Marcy Tilton's 9057 top set.  I'm going to hold off on reviewing it until I get at least one other view made up, but I think I'm going to use one of the more. um, unique views for the mint jersey that arrived today, so maybe that will be soon.

Bad bathroom selfie:
 And an even worse 'set the timer and hop in front of the camera' selfie...but that's how I wore it today.
It was definitely a good choice for a gloomy, rainy day that even had some frozen precip falling early on.

I made a slight FBA, and shortened the neckband and did my typical cheater of using 1/4" seam allowances on a pattern that uses 5/8".    But I like the fit of this and think I'm very close to the 'relaxed fit' TNT t-shirt pattern.  I could probably scoop the neckline just a little to get an approximation of a Rag and Bone T shirt shape I have on my pinterest page. 

But now I'm gonna see about sewing up some mint...and then I've got to hit the SWAP plan, if I'm going to get those wardrobe basics cranked out by the end of next month.

I think I can I think I can I think I can...

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 2/28/16

In which Simple is the name of the game...

I'm not sure why I decided to layer up what I did, but, well, it was kinda fun.

Even though the sparkle doesn't show up at all in the photo.

Colors for Feb. are Black, white and Gray; this is my (yeah, not so black any more) newest black Lee jeans, with the new acquisition-sewn-right-up gray viscose/lycra jersey Jalie 2566 T-shirt worn under a gray sparkly mesh Sewing Workshop Eureka top. 

Not flashy, not trendy, but very comfy.

But a small sadness; a bit after church, I realized I was missing an earring.  :-(

I'd only worn this pair a couple of times; they weren't terribly expensive so it's not tragic but it does make me sad.  I've no idea at all when I lost it.  The hook just somehow worked free.

I'd even had a little nudge to put a clutch on the back of them when I put them on this morning, but I didn't do it.

You'd think I'd learn...

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 2/21/16

Gray...black...white...and a new top!

It's a Vogue 8669 drapey neck shell top, made in a grayscale print stripe silk jersey that I bought on sale...oh, 3 years ago?  Maybe?  specifically to make this top for our annual black-and-white February.  It's the first time I've sewn with actual silk jersey;  I didn't realize my hands were so rough and dry!  I need to get a photo of the top without a cardi over it (Vogue 8305 here); I've got the problems with the armsceye gap all  fixed.  I don't remember what I did, back when I tweaked the pattern again, but it worked. LOL. 

I did do something a little different...I cut a band for the back neck, and, on my other tops, I folded it to the wrong side and stitched it down.  This time, I left it  on the neckline, and adjusted the depth of the pleats so the neckline is actually moved in about 5/8" on the sides. It feels more secure.

And I realize that, given the changes I've made to the neckline and the shoulders and the back neck, etc, my pattern probably is not recongizeable as the original.  But that was a great place to start and I've got 4 of these tops now that are very nice, even if the first two really do need a topper to cover the gappy armholes.

Black RPL doubleknit Loes Hinse Oxford Pants...which I reviewed in 2004 and no longer has valid photo links.  I have a couple of pieces of fabric earmarked to be Oxfords in the SWAP plan...if I can get to it.

I finished the blue cardigan that I was making from piece 2 of the fabrics I've acquired so far this year.  But it's got to go through the wash; I had a couple of developments in the construction process that I hope will get reset once it goes through the laundry.  We'll see.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 02 14 - a splash of red...

February choir wardrobe colors are black, white and gray and...for today only...we could add a 'splash' of red or pink.

So I've got the gray wool/lycra Loes Hinse Bolero jacket...again...and my black/white stripe RPL modified Loes Hinse Oxfords, and a black (I can't remember if it's cotton or rayon...) Jalie 2566 long sleeve T, with a scarf I purchased from Talbots, oh, 8 ish years ago?  It's a heart print...perfect for Valentine's Day.  Maybe too perfect...I think it's kinda like the holiday sweater that only comes out during December.  But it made a great 'splash of red'.

I'm late posting...My Sweet Babboo and I took off after church for an overnight at our favorite local retreat-on-the-bluff, and I sewed yesterday instead of posting. :-)

But I got two tops finished on the long weekend and got a good start on two more garments...a t shirt and a cardigan...before I ran out of blue thread and had to wait until I got some more tonight.

So...I'll work on that a wee bit more before I retire for the evening.  I need some new things; it's good to be sewing, even a little...

Sunday, February 07, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 2 07 16 - Grayscale February

Black, white and gray.  Sounds like February, doesn't it?  (we can add a pop of red or pink next week as it is Valentine's day...lol).

But I wanted to try the monochromatic gray, which, according to the featured Bloglovin' style post, is tres vogue right now.

As if.  LOL.

So.  A gray RTW baby cable cotton T Neck sweater,  the gray denim Jalie Jeans Jacket, and a pair of wool/lycra pants that I made from a Burda pattern  back in something like 2003 that I might or might not have reviewed but am too lazy to go look it up.  The pants fit really weirdly and I threw them into the back of the closet...now, 15 pounds later they fit fairly well.  Ya never know...

I made the long necklace, too, discovering that wire work is not as hard or as time consuming as I thought it would be.

Another craft to stash stuff for...lol...

Speaking of stash, I HAVE CUT OUT EVERY PIECE OF FABRIC THAT ARRIVED IN MY ONLY PURCHASE SO FAR THIS YEAR!  Yes, I know that's yelling but that's huge.  I'm so proud of me at this moment. :-D

AND - I've cut tops out of two other pieces of fabric as well.

So now it's time to leave the cutting table and actually sew some stuff.

Some of it might even actually turn out to be SWAP worthy.

Which, I know, is not the heart and soul of SWAP... I'm supposed to make a plan and stick to it.

But, you know...I think if you BUY with a plan...think how the pieces will work as you accumulate them... SEWING with a plan kinda automatically happens.  The tops will go with the bottoms will go with the toppers.  Because the fabric all coordinated as it came in.

Just a thought...

I have not forgotten about the 10 Year Giveaway, either.  I'm coming up on  1800 posts to Sew Random; I'm shooting for having the giveaway ready to announce on the rollover post.

Which is about 12 posts away.  Stay tuned. ;-)

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Choir Wardrobe 1/31/16

January's colors are Royal Blue, black and gray.

This is a 100% me-made outfit. It's all old stuff; I think I've worn this exact combo every January for the last 3 or 4 years.  But it works and the jacket garners compliments every time. 

Black and white RPL modified Loes Hinse Oxford pants
Black rayon/lycra turtleneck...and I don't even know what pattern I used.  It's been that long.
Blue wool flannel Silhouette Patterns Robin's Jacket.

Next month are colors very appropriate for February: Black, white and gray.

:-)

Friday, January 29, 2016

On the cutting table

...the pledge I made to myself last summer was to 'add nothing to the stash until my next birthday'...which will be in July.

And the last fabric purchase was July 2.

But my navy blue rayon/lycra t-shirt, which was floppy to begin with, has completely stretched out of shape.    So, being in need of a new blue T, I clicked through to Fabric Mart and discovered that they had jersey knits on sale for 50% off.

Fate, no?

So I snagged 2.5 yards of a blue rayon/lycra jersey, and, to make the shipping worthwhile, I also got the last yard of  a charcoal gray modal/lycra and a yard and a half of a blue/white rayon/lycra stripe.

My hubby was tut-tutting me for ordering fabric...until I told him this was the first purchase since July.  HE'S bought way more fabric for his re-enactment gear than I have in the past 9 months...lol.

I figured it would be three-four tops (depending on how generous the cuts are; FM sometimes is quite generous), which I could sew up pretty quick.


The fabric arrived today:

I've already washed it and it's up on the cutting table for a date with the patterns and weights tomorrow.  It all feels yummy; I'm looking forward to getting some nice new tops.

But.  Wouldn't you know.

The blue one...the one I needed the most...is rawthar sheerish.  I checked the description again and it DOES say 'semi sheer'.  Oy vey.  How'd I miss that?  I usually scroll right by anything that says 'semi sheer'.  I guess I was just suckered in by the perfect color.

It's only sheer if stretched.  So that just means I've got to use it for something drapey.  And I have no clue what that is going to be a this point...so, as much as I don't want to do it, it may end up in the stash whilst I contemplate a suitable pattern.  Since I've already sewn up 2 3/4 yards, that will not be a net gain in the stash so technically I'd still be ok on my pledge.

But...rats.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Workwear 23

:-)  I haven't worn new stuff in what seems like forever.

But, fresh off the machines...my second rendition of Vogue 8691, which I really, really need to review.

I wore it with The Sewing Workshop's Helix Pants,which I also need to review,  made out of a  pretty cheap double knit.  A new pair is in the SWAP plan, with a much nicer fabric queued up for them. I added pockets and really, really like these pants a lot. I'm even wondering if they'd work out of a stretchy woven...

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Finally, the first Choir Wardrobe post of 2016


I can't believe it's the third Sunday before I managed to get a post up, but it's been a busy month... ;-)

The choir colors for January are black, gray and royal blue.  So, since it was rawtharr chilly today, I wore black Lee jeans, my gray wool/lycra Loes Hinse's Bolero Jacket, and royal blue bamboo/lycra jersey never-reviewed BWOF funnel neck  top from something like Sept 2010.  For accent, a half-width  2- yard length of a silk/rayon burnout chiffon hemmed into a scarf.

I love this combo; it's one of my favorites that we wear and I'm really glad it's part of the winter rotation that repeats from one year to the next.

I also manage to get some sewing done this week, since I was home with no wheels whilst one of the cars had some major maintenance work done.  Technically, I *could* wear these tops for choir, but we are encouraged to do color-blocking, rather than prints, just to keep the  jangle effect minimized.  I got this rayon jersey print two or three years ago and have been waffling over what to do with it.  I finally settled on one of  Katherine Tilton's patterns, and I dug around and found a remnant of gray/black stripe rayon jersey that I used for contrast on the sleeves and neckband.  Since I cut the sleeves out of other fabric, I had enough of the print to make a cap sleeve Jalie 2566 T....which I *might* wear for choir next Sunday, if it's not too cold, under a cardi to lessen the impact of the print.

I intend to wear the Tilton top to work tomorrow. ;-).

Monday, January 18, 2016

Looking Ahead...

The Really Big Leadership Conference that has consumed my life since Christmas is in the books; it was awesome and inspiring and, I hope, life-changing...assuming I can implement and stick to the changes I see I need. 

But, life is always about pushing forward...two steps on, one step back,  two more forward, hold your ground, another half step forward, fall back a bit...try again...

Anyway, I've actually cut out two tops today, which I hope to get sewn up on the the next two days (MLK JR Day and an extra off day to breathe after the conference) and, along with the cutting, I actually sat down and made a plan for the 2016 Stitchers Guild SWAP contest.

This year's rules call for packs, or pods, or groups, or whatever you want to call them, and, as I am in DESPERATE need of some updated basics, that's what I'm focusing on.

Pack A - Black:


Black tropical wool pinstripe Loes Hinse Oxford pants
Black rayon/lycra jersey Jalie 2682 sleeveless V-neck
Black Denim jacket, pattern still TBD


Pack B - Gray

Gray chalk stripe RPL Loes Hinse Oxford pants
Gray wool crepe jacket - pattern TBD
Gray silk shell - pattern TBD


Pack C - Combo

Black 'denim' doubleknit Sewing Workshop Helix pants
Cream silk blouse (cut out ages ago but never touched)

Wildcards:
Black wool/lycra Jalie Classic Trousers
Turquoise silk jacquard shell - pattern TBD
Fuschia silk shell - pattern TBD


Heavy on the basics, which you'll recognize as major players in the choir wardrobe, with a pop or two of colors that frequently show up in the rotation.

My pants patterns need a little tweeking for fitting the current version of me, and, while I'm close on a TNT shell pattern, I'm not *quite* there yet.  And I'm STILL trying to figure out the denim jacket pattern.

But at least I have a direction.  Still no definite word on possible Easter costuming needs, so I'm going to plan like I have time to sew clothes. 

Of course, the tops I cut out today won't fit in the swap plans...being prints, they won't work with the striped pants (I don't think, anyway.  It might work once they're done but I'm not going to count on it).

But.  It's time to refresh the wardrobe.  

Thursday, January 07, 2016

Well, that went by fast...

Not sure how I got from Thanksgiving to Epiphany quite so fast.... and how I stayed AWOL from the blog for so long!  I took choir photos...but just did not manage to get them posted.  I wasn't terribly excited about posting them, anyway, as it was all just old stuff that  you've seen a bazillion times before.

But it's time to clean the slate and start again.

Here's the stats from  2015:

Fabric In: 72.625 yds
Fabric Out: 49 yds
Last fabric added: 7/2/15
Garments made for me: 23
Accessories:5
Garments made for other family members: 0
Home Dec Items: 8
Wadders, er, Unintentional muslins: 0
"Donations" : - 0
Muslins:4


Misc. Church Sewing:5 pink georgette scarves, 5 tiny sheep tunics/ear sets

I was really, really disappointed that I didn't even get 50 yards of fabric sewn up...I have gaps in my wardrobe that really need to be filled...but the home renovation project just completely took over the last quarter of the year and the only sewing I managed to do was to get those little sheep onstage on Christmas Eve (they were really cute...).  The 'home dec' is kind of a fudge...we still have 3 chairs to redo, but the fabric is cut so I'm going to call it out of the stash.

 I'm still sticking to my 'nothing added to stash'  resolution...which has so far meant 'no fabric purchased', since I've done precious little sewing, and the result is this is the smallest amount of fabric I've purchased in a calendar year since I started keeping track of it back in 2002.  So the stash really only increased by about 23.5 yards.  Which is just a couple of month's worth of sewing...if I were focused on crankin' it out.    I do have patterns and fabric out on the cutting table, though;  once we get past the Really Big Conference we're having at church next weekend, I'm planning to spend at least a couple hours a week  sewing.  It won't go really fast, but at least I'll get something done.

I've got a SWAP plan in the back of my head;  I dunno if I'll make any more headway this year than I have the past few years.  But my black denim jacket is calling my name; if I can just make up my mind on a pattern and get going, I think the rest would fall into line. 

So...I've got another twoish weeks of crazy busy work stuff, and then...I should have some time to be creative again.

Although I have heard rumors of an Easter production at church this year...we'll see what surfaces once we're past the leadership conference. ;-)


Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Haz Mat Warning

I finished the last of the sheep costumes this morning...I really had to make myself do it, dress rehearsal is tonight.  That fleecy stuff does  not just generate feathery debris, I found; it also generates  very fine, almost invisible, fiber coating on EVERYTHING.  ( I didn't take any more photos, but you can refer to my last post for an idea of what I was dealing with)

After coughing and hacking and feeling kinda bronchitis-y I wised up and tied an old rag over my nose and mouth to cut down on the fibers I inhaled.  I wish I'd had a set of goggles...my eyes are itchy and red and irritated. I'm on antibiotic eye drops, because there was a problem that really started before I got the fleece, but it has gotten aggravated as I've worked through the costumes.

But they are done; I used about 1/2 the sheets on a lint roller to get the fiber off the cutting board (at least it doesn't feel slick now) and vacuumed the carpet...and most everything else in a 3 foot radius of the cutting table.  This may move the 'clean and organize the sewing nook' project up the priority list...right now, I can't even vacuum in there (bein' honest here...).

So...should you be called upon to make sheep costumes with the admittedly perfect-for-the-garment curly fiber fleece...take appropriate care....

This has been a public service announcement from your friendly neighborhood sewing blogger...

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Sewing in an Apron...

..in an attempt to keep the white feathery debris from adhering to my clothing.

The costuming task that I have is to create costumes that suggest sheep for 5 little girls, who will be with Bo Peep in the Toys segment of the Christmas Eve production.

We've had pretty short notice, and I'm making it up as I go...per the usual costuming gig. ;-)

We have white sweatsuits for them, so we're layering a tunic vest made from the poly fleecy stuff.  It is ALL OVER.

I finally got smart and took each piece as it was cut,very carefully folded it and carried it over to a large shopping bag I'd hung from a doorknob, draped the piece into the bag and then shook it like a terrier to get rid of as much floof as I could.

Pity I didn't think of it sooner...

Looking down the apron after cutting out one sheep set...

 Debris on the cutting table...







The tail to be wagged behind her...
I have made all the ears and all the tails and one of the vests; two more vests are cut out.  We have a rehearsal tomorrow night (I'm just a body in the gospel choir finale)....hoping to get them done so I can check the length of the tunics.  They may need a little adjusting...

I'm thinking tomorrow's going to be a rather short work day.  But I have some vacation time to burn, so it will be fine...

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Choir Wardrobe 12 13 15

December colors: Red, black and gray

Modified Jalie Pleated Cardigan in red rayon blend (same as last week, actually);   black and gray rayon/lycra jersey stripe Jalie 2566 cap sleeve T , gray Lee jeans and red Cobb Hill shoes. (Quickly becoming a fashion rule of thumb for me...if I can get away with red shoes, wear 'em!)

We put up and decorated a Virginia Pine Christmas tree that we cut fresh yesterday; we haven't had a fresh tree for several years.  It was something of an adventure, as the first tree farm we visited had  a selection of truly pitiful little trees.  I had a huge 'to do' list, but a series of light string failures (three in a row!) put us very late finishing.  So I'm going to do the blog posts and then just get up in the morning and finish the urgent part of the to-do list.  I've got some vacation hours to burn  anyway.


The tree is pure kitsch...mismatched lights,  random ornaments, not a shred of tulle or feathers or flowers or fruit anywhere to be seen.... ;-)
And yeah, the window's open.  El Nino year and all..it was 73 today.  Good thing the tree is up; I'd never get myself to believe it was December otherwise...

Monday, December 07, 2015

Choir Wardrobe 12/6/15 - With the Choir in Red, can Christmas be far behind?

Well, technically the colors are red, black and gray. 

And this is a hop-in-front-of-the timer photo.

But it's all good. 

Modified Jalie 2919 Pleated Cardigan and a sleevless mock-t that I quite honestly can't remember the pattern on...both made of rayon/lycra jersey blend in a kind of twist on a twinset.

Jalie basic flair legged pants, made up in a dollar bargain lycra/poly blend that came from the dollar table at Wal-mart.  Have never managed to review the pants,  and the fabric feels icky but is a wonderful red and white pinstripe coloration, so it stays in the wardrobe.

And it just so happens I made the necklace, too...my first venture into wirework jewelry.
It was not as hard as I thought, and it didn't take as long as I expected...I'll probably do more.

In my spare time, of course.

Bwahahahahaha!!!