Work Wear 6

I knew the WW posts would be irregular, but I did mean to post them a LITTLE more often than this...

Anyway, today I woke up feeling green.  Not ready for full out fall colors, even though fall is Officially Here, it's 80ish degrees outside and I just don't feel ready to dig out the boots and stuff.

Not sure how my feet are going to like going back into closed shoes again, either.  5 months of Birkenstocks have reduced the neuroma symptoms considerably, but they are not gone. Sigh.

But, anyway.  Green.

The first green silk blouse I pulled out of the closet surprised me because it hadn't been pressed.  I normally don't bring things upstairs until they've had a date with the iron, so I was rather dismayed to see that it wasn't wearable...and I didn't have time to iron.

So I pulled out my green grade Z duppioni Tribeca Shirt and went scrounging in the closet to see if I had a scarf that would go with it.  I found a greenish floral scarf that I got for really cheap someplace this spring and laid it on the shirt.  My first thought was, wow, that really looks blue against that green...but as I looked at it a moment I realized there were shades of green mottled up in it that DID match the green of the shirt.

Hm.

So I put on some jeans and my blue rayon lycra jersey Jalie 965 tank top , then I topped it with the Tribeca and the Really Cheap scarf.  And some jadey green/gold earrings that have been lurking in the jewelry box so long I can't say when I actually wore them last.

And I got enough compliments today (i.e., TWO...lol) that I thought it might be worth a Work Wear Post.

The Flute Player played the part of the photographer today and didn't do TOO badly, although the light settings were set for the wrong kind of light. 

Maybe I can get in the sewing room just a bit tonight to put those pockets (inseam after all) on the Loud Jacket...

Loud Jacket, In Progress

Well, I didn't get to sew *all* evening, but I got a little bit done.  The back and the front are assembled and topstitched...and I don't think I did a half bad job of pattern matching.  Not perfect, but good enough.

The next 'work unit' will be the sleeves, collar, cuffs and facings.  I'm trying to decide if I want to go out of the box and put pockets in this jacket; the pattern has none, so I'd be adding a new element.  And if I *do* add pockets, should they be welt pockets or side seam pockets??

Decisions, decisions...

...and I said 'No'...

Picking up the Flute Player from a mask-building session at school tonight, the director asked if I could make a dress for the show...kind of a poly organzaish over poly silky looking thing, just from what I could see in the bag.

I told her unless it was something I could do tomorrow evening, I was going to have to say no.  Because the only other time I have available for sewing is at 2 AM.

So she said she would ask someone else.

What I *didn't* say was, 'You know, if you had asked me in August I could possibly have worked it in.'

I do not like telling people 'No'.  I really don't.  But...sometimes, that's the only reasonable and logical thing to do.

Meantime, progress made today on the Loud Jacket: Zero.

I'm telling myself 'No', too...

But I *do* have tomorrow night available.  We'll see if I can get to the sewing machines...

What Followed Me Home...

So, yeah, yesterday I had to make a trip to Hancock's because I needed some lime green thread and some buttons...either purple or green...for the Loud jacket.

Ahem.  Turns out Butterick and Vogue patterns were on sale.

Now, I *could* have bought  10 of each, per the sale signs, so I think the fact that I only really added 7 more patterns to the stash is exhibiting great restraint...Ahem again...

So far, on the jacket I have...fused down the interfacing and changed the thread in the machines.  Dunno if I will get to do anything else on it this week or not; Tuesday night is the only free night and the annual She Rev Women's Conference is going to have my weekend occupied.  Not complaining about that...just stating the fact....

This jacket is probably going to get put together in 10 - 20 minute increments...

Questions, answers and the beginnings of a LOUD Jacket...

Debbie Cook posted some questions/answers on her blog apparently pertaining to a discussion over on Pattern Review.  I haven't been spending much time on the boards, so this one has gotten by me, but I thought I'd answer Debbie's questions, too...if for no other reason than I would please myself by putting up posts two days in a row... ;-)


1. Do you cut with your fabric RS out or WS out? 

Depends.  If it's more stable one way or the other, I'll cut it that way.  Sometimes you don't have a choice...witness the project that I spent most of the day yesterday cutting out:

It will be a McCall's 5191 jacket; that print is so big that I thought I should pay attention to placement and ended up doing my best to match it at the most obvious seams.  I know I made a boo boo at least one spot...hoping it's not horrible.  A near match is worse than a total mismatch...  anyway, that fabric had to be cut right side up.  One piece at a time.

2. How do you make your pattern markings?

I have two basic methods...tailors tacks for interior marks and snips for notches/dots on the seam line.  On rare occasions I will pull out the tracing paper and spikey wheel when those two things are  not sufficient.

3. Do you follow the cutting layout in patterns?

Why?  There's enough info on the pattern pieces to lay them out...and, normally I'm using stashed fabric which will be either more or less than stated on the envelope anyway.  You do what ya gotta do.  That McCall's layout certainly looked nothing like that photo...

4. Are you obsessed with re-folding your pattern tissue on or very close to the original fold lines?
Oh, yeah.  But I trace all my patterns and then put the sheets back in the envelopes uncut.  Well, actually, most of them don't go back in the envelope; they go in the zipper portion of those special pattern-keeper bags that I can't find at Nancy's Notions at the moment.  The envelope, instructions and traced pieces go in the front pocket of the bag.

5. I thought of one more ... Do you make all the markings? 

Nope.  Just the ones I reasonably expect I'll need.  Button/button holes are NEVER marked; I mark that placement after the garment is constructed based on my own anatomical requirements...i.e., there must be a button/buttonhole at the full bust level.  Which I guarantee you will not be where one is marked on the pattern.

Also...if you don't mark button/button hole on a sleeve cuff, you don't have to worry about that little notch that tells you which end of the cuff goes where.   Just put the cuff on and then mark your buttonholes on the correct side and sew the buttons correspondingly.


And, yes, that jacket is going to be purple and lime green, which are the choir colors for this month.  I ordered it early in the summer, before I knew I would be sitting out of choir a bit.  I *may* be back by the end of the month (since there are 5 Sundays in September this year) and it was on the top of the pile...; -)

I also cut out another Simplicity 2599 shell top, this one from lime green rayon challis that actually belonged to the Princess.  She left it behind when she moved out, and when I asked her if she had plans for it (seeing as how it IS the green for choir this month) she told me to have at it.  This will be the 3rd iteration of that top...the review picture looks pretty awful, and I've already sent that version on to Goodwill.  But if this one actually fits well, I'll update the review.

Which happens to be my most recent review and is almost exactly a year old. The little sewing I've been doing for the past year has all been TNT's.  Just haven't tried anything new.  For a year.  Sad.

A SURE Sign of Busy...

...is when there is sewing happening at church, crunch sewing, and I'm not part of it.

There is a team of ladies who are working on sewing some panels for the decor for the upcoming women's conference; there is a lot to do, I've heard, and the volunteer squad has been rather small.

And I am so obviously consumed with the data base that I haven't been asked to help.  I'm sorry to miss the camaraderie of  working on the project together, but, well, as I've told a couple of folks, I haven't even had time to buy milk lately.

But I hit a small milestone of progress yesterday...barely, and there will still need to be follow up work on it next week, but I hit it... so today, I am staying home, doing laundry and maybe, just maybe, doing a bit of sewing as I wait on the machines to do their thang.

I have promised myself I will NOT log into the data base until I start data entry on Sunday.  We'll see if I can hold myself to that promise.

But...my biggest problem in the sewing room right now is that I have so many things I want to sew...I don't have a clue where to start.

Maybe I'll just pull whatever is on top of the 'do this' pile and do it...

Waves 'Hi"...

I actually sewed something over the weekend...

Another Jalie 965 tank top, this one in fuschia rayon/lycra jersey.  Really floppy stretchy fuschia rayon/lycra jersey.

I wore it to church under the upcoming Women's Conference official promo t ...which is also pretty stretchy and floppy.

I did mean to get a picture, but, wow, Sundays are tough days to work in a photo and since I wasn't singing in the choir I didn't really push it.

You could only see a teeny bit of the tank top at the neckline anyway.  So it's not like you really  missed a boatload of inspiration.

I have completely lost count of how many of those Jalie tanks I've made...it's got to be somewhere around   15 or 16, at least.

They are VERY useful layering pieces.

I still have a goodly chunk of that jersey left; not sure if I will sew it up whilst I have fuschia thread on the serger or not.

Prolly depends on how quickly I can get back to the sewing machine.

Or the cutting table.

All day training tomorrow with the real, live, in-person trainer from the data base company for the staff roll out of the new data base platform.  I really wish I could've had my own full day of training before we go to the staff, but, well, by the time I sit through EVERYONE'S session surely I will have put some more of the puzzle pieces together...

Surely.

The Flute Player has been cast in the Children's Musical production the Theater Performance magnet will be performing in about a month.

She showed me her character's concept sketch.

It's a yellow dragony-looking thing.

She said I will probably get called for costuming.

Resisting the urge to laugh hysterically....

Last First Day Ramblings

And I am already up waiting on the homework to be finished.

It's after midnight.

I hope this isn't the shape of Things to Come.

I already posted my thoughts on the 4th and last 'last first day of school' on the other blog.

The data migration happened late last Thursday.

We went away for our anniversary on Friday morning.

Yeah.

So I did pretty much nothing with the new data base until today.

Now it is the mop up and clean up and try to figure out how to do it on this side time.

Prepping for the migration had a deadline.

After the migration, the deadline for new processes is just ASAP.

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

No more trips on the calendar.

If I get a stress break, it's going to be in the sewing room.

Maybe soon.

Meantime, here's the last project, on the girls for the ceremony last week (my senior had left hers to put on for her recognition):

Good night....

One of These Things is Not Like the Others...

...and boy, is it a bummer.

One of my main ministry areas at church is with the Girls Ministry; I am the lead sponsor for both the Teen Girls Clubs (Friends...grades 6 - 8 and Girls Only...grades 9 - 12).  The girls earn various rewards through all the years in Girls Ministry for completing units of study;  up to grade 5, they earn patches that go on a sash.  In Friends, they earn charms for a necklace, and in Girls Only, they earn enameled pins that have no particular place to be worn.

So, I debated a number of things we could do; in the first year of the club, the (then) only club member made a tote bag as a craft for one of the units, thinking it would be a good place to put the pins.

But they snagged on things and fell off.  Not good.

Then I happened to think about the mantles I made for HMC graduations in years past and thought that those would be a good thing to use for pins; the girls could wear them at the advancement ceremonies and have them for the final graduation ceremony when they leave the clubs.

And, as my first student was rapidly approaching her final graduation, I thought I'd better get on it.

Never mind that the data base migration is at the crunchiest crunch time.

So, I worked around out of town trips and late nights at the office and got the mantles (we're calling them 'stoles'...which is really what they are) all put together, then remembered that Hancock's had been short one 'G' and a set of tassels when I bought the supplies.

I fused the letters/numbers on and sewed the tassels on all but one last night; stopped at Hancock's on my way into work to pick up the other supplies, then sat at work 'till late printing the certificates that I will hand out to all my girls tomorrow on the nice big copier/printer instead of our desktop printer (experience has proven that home printers do NOT handle card stock well).

Then I came home, sewed the tassels on the last stole and fused the letters/numbers on.

This one was going to be my daughter's; I'd planned to take the others in and put the pins that were still at church on them for the other girls...just forgot 'em.

Anyway.  Here are the finished items (my Senior already has hers w/ 2013 on it):

Sigh.  Somehow I twisted the last one when I laid it on the ironing board and the fusing happened on the WRONG SIDE.   And there ain't no pulling them off...

Of course, it's only noticeable when they're all together but my melancholy daughter was rather unhappy that I'd messed hers up.

So she promptly texted one of the other girls to find out if she would mind switching.


I can make a replacement...but not in time for tomorrow night's ceremony.

Sigh.  I knew I should've waited till in the morning...

(postscript a bit later:  friend says she doesn't mind.  That's a FRIEND.)

Road Trip Fabric Stop

 A swift trip to the northern reaches of Hoosierland had us driving around the northeast corner of the I-465 loop around Indianapolis.  We had plenty of time, so my sweet Babboo graciously agreed to a quick stop at Indy's newest (as in, it's almost 2 years old) fine fabrics store.

I'm not sure where I found out about The French Seam, other than I know I knew about it before they opened.  I was really excited; JoAnn's has been the only game in town in Indianapolis for many years.  It took us a little bit to find it, mostly because the Google Map just wasn't as accurate as it might have been.  But persistence paid off and I got to do a quick visit.

It is not a large fabric store by any means; the selection is not huge.  But, if you consider that they have simply eliminated all the junk fabric, home decor and nick knacks  that you would find in, say, JoAnn's or Hancock's (y'know, the fleece, the poly silkies, the imitation linen, etc), then it really is not such a limited choice.  They had silk, linen, wool and cotton.  Heaven.

They had just put all their summer fabrics on sale for half price; I looked it all over and saw several pieces (including some really nice tropical wools) that I would love to have purchased, but, well, I have some lovely tropical woolens sitting in my stash already so I steeled my nerve and kept looking.

I finally settled on a red/white twilled cotton; I decided several weeks ago that I'd like a red jeans jacket and this will do that nicely.  The twilled side is actually going to be the wrong side; the even weave side is much darker.  It's very soft and should make up well.

And, just because I could hold it in my hand and look at it, I picked up a drapey front cardigan pattern from The Sewing Workshop that I've been waffling over for a while now. 

No, it wasn't all really bargain priced, but it was reasonable (especially as I got the fabric on sale), and I could touch and drape to decide. 

Which is a real treat nowadays...

Was life better before the internet?

Sigh.  I thought I'd found my new reader...heading into the twilight of Google Reader, I sampled two or three and finally landed at the Old Reader.  It had some glitches but, hey, it was ok.  I could read the blogs right there.  I could skip the ones I'd already read.  I was happy.

But apparently it was too much of a good thing.  Too many folks signed up and, in trying to make it work, it all fell apart.  The site owners got it working again, but decided life is too short to deal with such things (who can blame them?) and they're going private.

Basically, they've decided to take it back to the small level of users they had before the Google influx.

Which means my account won't make the cut.

Looks like I'm back to bloglovin'...which I don't love...but at least looks to be as permanent as these things can possibly be.

This comes on the heels of  the winds of change over at Stitchers Guild.  I haven't been hanging out there too much lately...data base migration and all...but that community also looks to be a victim of its own success.   

Which all makes me wonder if all this connection is really feasible; really...how much longer can we expect all this open space to be free?  Folks labor long and deal with all kinds of life inconvenience for really very little return...while those of us who use their services barely even know their names.   We might send them some money from time to time, and we cheerfully thank them for their expertise, but I can't fault any one who's been sacrificing family time, personal time, sleep and finances to keep the site up who finally says, 'It's just not worth the hassle anymore.'

I didn't miss a reader before I had one; now I'm griping that I don't like the reader I seem to be stuck with.

First world problems, eh?

Don't misunderstand me...I love the connections I've made via the internet and the incredible inspiration that has come from the blogs I read and the contributors to the sites I frequent...or at least, frequent when I get a chance to frequent. ;-)  But it comes at a cost. 

And maybe, just maybe, the cost is higher than any of us is willing to admit.

Just sorta thinking out loud here....

Choir Wardrobe 072113

As I said earlier...more repeats and old stuff.

Colors are sky blue, navy blue, mustard yellow and gray.

Repeat RTW linen jacket and...I think...Lee bootcuts.  The top is from the back of the closet...so old I'm not even sure which pattern it is.  I *think* it's the modified City Dress Bodice, even though it is not in the photo album for that review.  It's made from crinkled Tencel gauze and I have worn it to death since I made it in...2003?  Maybe?  I could go look but my eyes are computer weary at the moment and I just don't have the oomph to hunt.  Anyway, it was body skimming then; it's snug now but the crinkles give it enough stretch factor that it's not bad under a friendly loose jacket. ;-)

And, as I'm sure you noticed this post is a whole two days late, I'ma gonna just say that, until we get past the data base migration and I'm breathing easier (I worked 13.5 hours today on my part-time job...) I have taken a bit of a hiatus from choir so that I have every available moment for data entry or...laundry...  So the Choir Wardrobe will be on a bit of a break, too.  I'm hoping it's just for 4 - 6 weeks or so; those who have done migrations before are saying that we are in good shape and everything is progressing nicely; I have no experience in it and all I'm seeing is the pile of old ugly data files that somehow have to get mapped into the new platform but I don't want to bring the old uglies over and I don't know how we are going to mine the gold out of the mess and just take it...

Got some emails out waiting on answers.

Dunno if I will get back to blogger before the sun rises on the other side or not...we'll see.

Choir Wardrobe 071413

We could either call this the 'Throwback' or the 'Fun with Baubles' edition...

July's colors are light blue, navy blue and (technically it should be that brownish-mustard) yellow, with gray also available as the neutral.

I am pulling out seriously old clothes here. 

Clothes that fit much better 10 years and 20 pounds ago.

But, well, if you don't button a double-breasted style it isn't so obvious that it's too small.... ;-)  Truth is, that Sewing Workshop Hong Kong Vest was the very first pattern I reviewed after joining Pattern Review in 2002.

Told ya I was talkin' old stuff.

The ancient Lands' End stretch t on the bottom is pushed to its limits as well, but, well, it's covered up so you can't tell.  Jeans that I've been wearing for ages, too.

Besides the old clothes, though, I had a sudden inspiration this morning and did something I very, very rarely ever do.  Like, I'm not entirely even sure I HAVE done this before...

Wore two different jewelry sets one-on-top-of-the-other.

It may have been a little overkill, but, well, it was fun.

I'm dreaming of a day sewing...

(to the tune of 'White Christmas')

Just like the ones I used to spend
When I was younger
And days were longer
Or so it seemed way back then

I'm dreaming of a day sewing
Something lovely just for me
A Jacket, dress or just a Tee
When I've got a breather finally....
 

But with a data base migration in the crunch stage and two more out of town trips...it may be Christmas before that happens... ;-)

Choir Wardrobe 070713

Well, we zoomed up to Hoosierland and family for the 4th, then zoomed back to Rocket City in time to be in our expected places on Sunday; I basically stayed at church all day so My Sweet Babboo snapped yesterday's photo in the hall outside my office.

The colors have changed; we're now wearing sky blue, navy blue, mustard yellow and gray.  I pulled out some straight leg Lees, an ancient Jalie 965 tank top and an off-last-years'-clearance-rack linen topper from Coldwater that always looks way better in the mirror than it looks in any photo.  The yellow jewelry isn't spot on the right color...more French's than Gray Poupon, but since it's just a wee bit it didn't matter.

We haven't worn light blue in years;  this is actually one of my favorite color combos to wear but I've let my light blue wardrobe dwindle considerably; you're probably going to see mucho repeating this month, unless I can manage to get a buncho sewing done.

Considering the data base is scheduled to migrate in about 3 weeks, I don't think I'm going to get to sew much of anything...

Choir Wardrobe 63013

I made My Sweet Baboo take this before we left the house this morning; that Vogue 1055 over blouse is linen and I knew it'd be all wrinkled and tired by the time we got home ;-)

It really is a pure coincidence that it is such a close color match to the knit Vogue 2925 top underneath, but I'm really glad it matches up since coral has been a regular summer wardrobe color for several years now.  I would never have put it in my wardrobe otherwise, but I think I'm getting used to it.  Sometimes I even wear it when it's not a Sunday...

This pair of Lee bootcuts is marked 'Short', but every time I put them on I wonder if that was a mislabel; I've got to wear shoes with at least 1 1/2" heel with them; right now my feet are bothering me and wearing any heel at all costs something. But I wore the cool sparkly silver sandals with the heel anyway.   Paying for it tonight.  Wonder where I put that foot spa?

I did try something new and different today; I put one contact lense in and left the other eye uncorrected in my DIY- version of monovision.  I can read just fine uncorrected, but my arms are simply too short to read anything with glasses or contacts in.  So I either wear my glasses, and pull them off to do any reading (and consequently wander off and forget where I left them), or I have to wear reading glasses with my contacts.   Trying to get away from that hassle, I decided to try monovision.  It wasn't too bad, except going down the road.  I wasn't driving, which was why I decided to try it,  but I don't know that I will ever get adjusted to it enough to actually drive.  But it didn't bother me in choir or trying to do my weekly data entry, so I may actually give it a serious go.  Seeing as how I have a six month supply of daily disposable lenses, and both eyes use the same prescription, I might as well...


I am going through serious sewing withdrawals; but there doesn't look to be any chance to get behind the machine for at least another couple of weeks.  I hope I'm wrong...

...And the Light Dawns.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I figured it out.

I really didn't understand why 'claiming my blog' was such a big deal; but after reading  Rhonda's post yesterday,  I realized that 'claiming' one's blog allows the claimant to view stats about who is using Bloglovin' to read their posts.

I'm all about finding out if anyone actually reads my blogs or not; this one is not such a big deal but, to the best I can tell, just a handful of folks read my faith blog and I need all the encouragement I can get over there, so I linked that one up.  Since I'm in link up mode, here's my required post telling everyone they can follow Sew Random over there, too. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. ;-)

checkin' in

Data base migration at work; we are hitting the crunch time leading up to the switchover.

I have been dreaming about the data base...only obliquely.

Also dreaming about getting into my sewing room, but that's of the day dreaming variety.  And then only in the moments when I tear myself away from my computer.

That's the downside to working on the cloud...you can work from absolutely anywhere there's an internet connection.

I commented to one of my co-workers that I was thinking about taking one of the ancient church laptops on our upcoming visit to my parents' so I could work on cleaning old records while I was gone.  'That's a good idea,' she said.  "No!" I replied, 'That's a terrible idea!"

But it may not matter because the check engine light has been on on the car all week and I'm not going to go anywhere until it's fixed.  We've already done 'break down in Nashville and rent a car to follow the tow truck 95 miles home' once and I NEVER want to do that again!

Actually, I want to tell everyone we've left town and then stay home.

And not touch the computer.

Maybe I could sew.

Choir Wardrobe 061913

 Ok, this is pretty much the same thing I wore a couple of weeks ago, allowing for a different necklace and different jeans, so the main reason to even talk about today's photo is the haircut.

After deliberately spending three years growing my hair out to one length, I went to my hairdresser Friday and had her re-layer it.

I'm not so sure I feel at home in such frothyness, but, believe it or not, that is my hair in pretty much its natural state.  I have fought it for most all my life, trying to get it to lie down and behave and be NEAT, but it just won't cooperate.  Since I'm trying to define my own personal style, I decided I needed to start with accepting my hair the way it is.  I could get it chopped off short,  and I may yet do that, but there's nothing distinctive about short hair.  This may be weird and un-neat and not quite appropriate for a Woman of A Certain Age, but it is uniquely me so I'm going to TRY to make it work for me.

We'll see how it goes.

And then there was the one that got away....


I bought some lovely black/white/silver knit from one of my favorite online vendors and proceeded to make up my latest TNT T shirt pattern, Jalie 2566.  I knew I was dealing with fabric that didn't have a boatload of stretch, but I thought I'd be ok.  I have a version of this made from a really stretchy knit that's almost too big, and another made from a fairly stable knit that's ok. 

I guess this knit is more than just 'fairly' stable, because once I finished it and put it on...well, 'sausage casing' came to mind.  Fortunately, it fits The Flute Player rather well.

Which is ok...she needs some real wardrobe T-shirts, instead of just the graphics-printed promo shirts.  So I gave it to her... Sigh...

Choir Wardrobe - 06 16

Repeats and reruns....
Colors for June: coral, yellow and gray.

Coral Jalie cardigan, silver shot gray Simplicity 2603 top.  Straight leg Lees.  Simple.

;-)

Last time I wore this cardigan, I had to carry a couple of pizza boxes (with pizzas!) from one end of the church to the other, and I ended up with a grease line on the left side.  I thought it was gonna be a gonner.  But it did wash out, mayhap due to the Carbona stain treatment I put on it.  Whew.


And I must be tired; almost posted this to the wrong blog.  Realized it when I pulled up the label list...time for some shut eye!