Alabama Chanin · Sewing

Mojo rising

It's not skyrocketing, but I'm feeling a bit more "with it" and energetic!

I spent a few hours on both Saturday & Sunday mornings in the upstairs apartment, mainly here:

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I took a "before" photo, too, but you'd have to look real hard to see the difference. I asked myself why I would pay someone to clean my arguably less icky bathroom/house but tackle this myself and the best answer I could come up with is that I didn't have to move stuff in order to do it. It was "cleaned out" even if it wasn't exactly hitting the "clean" standard I'd have liked. Anyway, it's fine and coming along, and I do take great satisfaction in doing a good job. (Thanks, Mom!)

Had I not made a thousand trips in/out the back door and up/down the outside stairs, I might not have noticed the extraordinary number of "bees" flying around. I don't know exactly what variety of flying things they are, but having discovered that they're flying in and out of MY HOUSE — they gotta go! Meanwhile, apparently more aware, I found another spot with a ton of activity and… NO THANK YOU! The guy at the hardware store told me that I could totally take care of that myself and gave me some stuff. As I was reading the label/directions last night, it was all about fleas & ticks… not a single mention of anything "bee-like." Um. No. I took that as my sign to call a pro!

Ali brought the baby over after the market. I haven't had her all to myself in a while!

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We took a recliner nap together.

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A little while later, we were playing on the floor and I thought I'd roll her over for a bit of tummy time… and she zonked out! It was only for a few minutes, but long enough to do a row or two on my mystery shawl. (I'm more than half-way on the final border section, then it'll be fancy bind-off time.)

When Ali came to get Malina, she had Junah along.

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We went out for burgers & fries, walking over to the video store afterward, where he found these awesome Groot sunglasses (also a mouthful of gumball).

In the mode (and also, clean begets clean), I spent a little time on Sunday cleaning up & organizing my workroom, and then I sat down to tackle a little project that's been on my mind for a month.

I'd spotted a perfect-for-the-venue dress at a local outdoor music event, and Kinneared a photo:

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I eventually spoke with her — I couldn't let her get away without asking about that dress! No, she said, she didn't make it… bought it in Texas or someplace. Well, I knew that someone sure as heck made that dress — and I was sure gonna try!

I had already pawed through the stash and found a couple of likely suspects for such a garment, then ordered same size/brand coordinating t-shirts; they arrived on Saturday and I threw it all into the washer so it would all be ready when I was.

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My original thought was to sew together my Frankendress by machine, but then I realized what I was doing! I bought this shirt last November when I was in Florence, AL, with Kym for the Alabama Chanin 3-Day Workshop! One of my favorite "extras" on that trip was Judy Hood's Swampette Tour of Muscle Shoals music venues, and I bought the shirt at FAME Studios. It seemed sacrilegious to put it under the presser foot — it had to be sewn by hand!

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I've since pressed that seam and it looks much better. I will eventually fell & embellish it; I found the perfect stitch in The Geometry of Hand-Sewing. AND I will cut/re-size those sleeves. Holy moly. Mine's a little more oversized than the model, but I love the super-relaxed fit, otherwise!

I hope you had a great weekend!

Sewing

More Sewing

There was a good deal of time spent with the kids over the weekend, and Maddy arrived on Saturday afternoon, but I still managed to find some time for sewing — both for the kids and for me!!

After work on Friday, I stopped by the blueprint shop to pick up printed patterns for Alabama Chanin Palazzo Pants and the new Sew Liberated Gypsum Skirt. Then I ran by Joann (have you read about the new Concept Store?) where I bought some more Mickey Mouse fabric (ahem), including another fat quarter bundle (that I couldn't find last time), and some drapey rayon for the Gypsum Skirt. I tossed it all in for a wash when I got home so it would be ready to go.

On Saturday morning, I finished the bodice lining and hem of Gin's Franken-Geranium

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With pleats & pockets!

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That irresistible (to me) cap sleeve!

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And pearly snaps on the back!

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The fabric is made up of leftovers from the first fat quarter bundle, which I used to make a Geranium Top for Malina, along with some MM fabric that Ali had in her stash, and a random B&W print from mine (before I knew that Ali had some and when I didn't want to make the 30-mile roundtrip to the fabric store) (I never realized it was actually that far!).

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! Here's Malina's…

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The cuteness is going to be off the charts with these girls and their coordinating dresses… and I just can't even imagine once Junah's added to the mix. I have plans!!

Then I got to work on my Gypsum Skirt and, boy oh boy, rayon is so slippery!! At least compared to the cottons — both woven & knit — that I'm used to working with. I sewed my first-ever flat-felled seam on the machine…

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…and, believe me, I considered my options for the other three! That was sort of tricky, but it got a little easier with each one. Naturally, my bobbin thread ran out at the beginning of one of them and I didn't realize it until the end.

First order of the day tomorrow is to finish that skirt. I have sewn the waistband into a loop, currently draped around my ironing board, so all that's remaining is finishing & attaching that and hemming. I love those big roomy pockets… I hope they like me!

Sewing · Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

Unraveled Wednesday

Joining Kat & the Unravelers

I spent an hour and a half this morning straightening & organizing things in the bedroom — found some stuff, tossed some stuff, put away some stuff, and set aside some stuff for the upcoming rummage sale. It felt SO GREAT to finally, really, focus on that task. Small bites.

KNITTING

Then I did another rare thing and sat down in the middle of the morning with my knitting and Netflix. I had just a little ways to go until I could bind off the latest In Threes cardigan and one more episode of Collateral to watch…

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…and my timing was PERFECT! Gift for Summer of '18 Baby #2 of 3 is only in need of buttons!

SEWING

I've been catching a few minutes here & there to sew… currently working on Ginny's Mickey Mouse Geranium.

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I love the front — black & white with littls hits of red.

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There are side seam pockets on both sides. This is the largest size Geranium I've made so far (size 3) and, understandably, those pockets aren't even an option on the smaller sizes.

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PARTY IN THE BACK!!! I did actually stop at Joann's to see if I could find another bundle like the one I started with, but they were gone. Meanwhile, Ali gave me some Mickey fabric from her stash… so I pieced it together and this is what we've got!

READING

Not much has changed in this department. Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson is still in my ears; The Thoughtful Dresser is still on my nightstand (and I'm making some progress).

Sewing · Weekending

Weekending: Sewing, Relaxing

Just before the kids left on Thursday night, I remembered to have Gin try on her new dress so I could measure for the hem. I took care of that little detail on Saturday morning!

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I guess I've got the sewing bug at the moment! I picked up a cute Disney fat-quarter bundle at Joann's a few weeks ago featuring Mickey Mouse — I couldn't resist it then and it's been calling to me ever since! I had to listen…

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I had a blast putting that together — it's a Made By Rae Geranium Top for Malina. I made the 3-6 month size because she is growing!! It's the first one I've made with the pleated skirt variation.

There was enough fabric leftover that I thought I'd try to cobble it together, along with something from my meager fabric stash, to make a coordinating top for Ginny. I've made the bodice, which looks much the same as Malina's, and here's the skirt front underway:

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I'm making the pleated skirt for this one, too, and it will also have POCKETS! The skirt back will be made entirely of the "extra" fabric. I originally wanted to use white for the "extra," but I didn't like the weight of it compared to the MM fabric, so… it's not perfect, but I think it'll be cute enough.

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Ali sent a few photos this morning. I think that Malina can't take her eyes off of her new top!!

She brought the kids over last night for ice cream cones…

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…to celebrate (Grand) Father's Day! I love how Malina's got her eyes on Ginny! Junah's all wet because he was dousing himself with a water bottle — it was pretty hot & sticky yesterday.

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So relaxed, and too cute!!

Let's see, what else… We went to a couple of art/music things on Friday evening. We did a run for some gravel on Saturday, and also to try and find a rain barrel that I liked; didn't find one, so ordered one that I hope looks as nice in person (we shall see on Thursday!). I had my first-ever 90-minute massage on Saturday, too, during which I may have fallen asleep once or twice, but also resulting in my arm/shoulder feeling SO MUCH better! And I didn't even know that my left kneecap was in so much need of attention until she started working it… aahhhhhh. It was true bliss.

The weekend ended with this message from Al:

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A swishy & swirly one, I bet!!

Sewing · Unraveled Wednesday / Knit & Read

Unraveled Wednesday: Trapezette

KNITTING

You know that KNITTING is my primary therapist, but SEWING is a steadfast back-up! I bought this cute pin at Brooklyn Craft Co. last weekend for Ali — they all decorate their barista aprons with pins at the coffee shop, and this is so true for her.

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Truth is, I haven't been knitting much. There's a hat & a shawl in current rotation, but I do most of my knitting in the evening and, well, this week we've either been busy or I'm just too pooped. I think about it all the time, though. And lately, I've also become a bit preoccupied with what to knit/make for three little baby girls due to arrive in the next couple of months. I really have to use some yarn that I already have and it has to be baby/mom friendly (i.e., washable), so that's limiting (not necessarily a bad thing… parameters)… I think I'm closing in on a plan.

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I've also been considering Kirsten's TTL Mystery Shawl… it's been a favorite each time that I've participated! The only thing holding me up is my sore arm, but a few short breaks from knitting, visits to the chiropractor, and the discovery of a major knot in my shoulder (I really need to schedule a proper massage) have all been helping. And I can certainly go at whatever pace is comfortable for me. UPDATE: Pattern purchased! 

SEWING

Even though my main occupation last weekend was cuddling & caring for Malina while her parents were busy at the Electric City Music Festival (big kids were with other grandma), I still managed to prepare, cut out, and sew The Trapezette Dress for her older sister — my first Merchant & Mills pattern, recently purchased at Brooklyn General Store.

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I have a bit of finishing to do (hemming & a button) but this is a big win and there are certainly more to be made (this is a size 3yrs, the pattern goes up to size 8yrs)! Swishy & swingy just as advertised.

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I made my first rouleau in memory! I didn't have a bodkin handy (though I know there's one somewhere), so I improvised with a pin & bobby pin to turn that little loop.

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I'm pretty proud of the more-or-less matching of zigzag stripes on the center back seam — and I wasn't even trying terribly hard!

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It's super, super cute and I can't wait for Gin to come over and try it on so I can check the length & finish. This fabric has been in stash for a long time; I have no idea what the original intention was. I was a little hesitant to use it for this project because I thought it might be too crazy, but it was the perfect amount (of both fabric and crazy) and I love how it turned out! I used nicely matching leftovers from the backing of Malina's quilt for the facings.

READING

I finished listening to West Cork last week, and have just decided that Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson will be my next audiobook (it's downloading as we speak). The Thoughtful Dresser was just renewed for the second (and hopefully) last time (I'm enjoying the book but the reading, lately, is going much the same as the knitting), leaving Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder stuck at the bottom of the nightstand pile under Rick Bragg's The Best Cook In The World – Tales from My Momma's Table, because that is definitely up next!