It Arrived!

Here's a little teaser of my new Isabella Oliver mystery item, which is just gorgeous. I'm not going to tell you exactly what I got, I'd rather prolong the suspense until I can take a nice, styled shot of it. Of course, that presupposes that I'm going to somehow get in the shower and put on some lipstick.

It will happen soon.

Where is Kristin

I have been stuck either a) under blankets or b) in front of the new fancy cable watching questionable programming for the last 3 days. I guess that means I am officially under the weather.

To wit (and I write this with a raging headache so it may not make much sense): I decided that the only thing that might help said headache would be an extra strength ibuprofen and a coffee. Needless to say, leaving this house is not an option. Which means I had to make the coffee. That in itself almost threw me over the edge. Eventually, when my espresso finished bubbling to the carafe, I poured it into a cup, opened a carton of cream (which I smelled, I do this reflexively), and added some in.

Of course, I can't freakin' smell anything, which means the iffy cream bits floating in the top of my coffee, made it past my razor-sharp detection methodology. I mean, I had another cream in the fridge. It's not like I couldn't have opened a new one if the old one smelled off!!!

But I'm not proud. I skimmed the surface of the cup and drank that shit. You gotta pick your battles.

PS: Cream was nowhere near best before date (still 2 weeks away) and on reviewing rest of contents I decided it wasn't really bad, just maybe moving in that direction. Still, I'm a freak. I mean, sick.

PPS: Upshot is you may not see too much action here as I finish with my pre-posted material and haven't yet had a chance to develop more. Let's see how the weekend plays out.

PPPS: The Isabella Oliver dress arrived and I'm a) so blah I haven't even managed to try it on (afraid to look in mirror) and b) so wanting to try it on and look good and write a post about it. Wish me luck.

PPPPS: There's another new post below this one. And it's actually interesting. So read it, ok?

Bubblegum Chic

In case you thought I had a problem with loud patterns, this post will disabuse you.

This is the latest dress I have made, using a pattern from Sew U Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin (aka Built By Wendy).



Although it looks shapeless here, it is actually attractively form fitted on my (curvy) frame. In fact, I do wish I'd waited to cut 10 inches from the hem (on the pattern's suggestion - it was a variation on the "basic dress") till I realized that it wasn't going to fit loosely like it appeared to in the picture. Alas, it's vaguely sexpot. I will need to tone that down with some lame leggings (or jeggings - Lord I hate that term) and maybe an asymmetrical cardi. In the summer, with chic slides, it will be a perfect weight.

Speaking of weight (or gauge), this fabric was a bitch to sew. It's so thin it's ridiculous (yet another reason it fits so closely). So next time I make it, I will use a more assertive jersey. Oh, and I'll probably make it 5 inches longer.

Note to anyone who may buy the book and make the dress pattern enclosed: It's cut small. I mean, not insanely small, but when working with knits - which I sew most often - I have found that I need to go down a size - or at least I must be much more conservative than with woven patterns (sometimes, in which, I can be 6 sizes higher than I would be in RTW). This pattern I cut in a medium, and I wouldn't want to go any smaller. So happy to see that, unlike my last pattern, this one is cut for a narrow frame.

Here's the belt I made - to which I added a button, because I wanted to try a buttonhole on stretch fabric. BTW, it's pretty finicky, just as the experts advise, but by no means impossible. Mine's not even because I had some issues with my machine (you can't use a walking foot with a button foot and this button hole really required both). The belt is interfaced because the fabric has no structure of its own. Still, you can see gravity dragging the button hole down here...

See, you live you learn. Stay tuned for the next go 'round...

Waist Not Want Not

I made a dress, recently, from one of the patterns I requested for Xmas, and I was dismayed to find that it completely didn't work on me. I used the correct size, the right (jersey) fabric. I followed the directions to the letter of the law. I even watched a video made by the designer of the pattern. Twice.

And when I finished, I felt the armscye was entirely too large, the neck too wide (my frame is narrow), the waist unflattering - it just didn't hang. I tried reconstructing it - for 4 hours. Alas, the bodice had a raglan sleeve and my abilities are not yet up to reworking it. Of course, it gave me a good excuse to get a French curve, on the assumption that I'd be able to figure out the geometry.

After waging a little battle with my inner critic, I decided to cut the top from the bottom. You know jersey doesn't unravel, so I knew I'd be alright. I gave the top - with elastic still attached, to my daughter and she wears it with fantastic Flashdance aplomb. Really, that child has natural style in spades.

When she wore it to school, her friends all wanted to know where she got it, and when she told them her mother made it, the were incredulous. (Note: This is not because of the garment's incredible quality, but because nobody's mother sews anymore.) M convinced them by advising them to look for a label. Apparently, when you're nine, the absence of a label is total evidence of an item's home construction.

But that left the skirt to contend with. The skirt was actually the most attractive part. It has a nice, thick hem rib and it hangs nicely. I decided, instead of throwing it away, I'd try to create a rib waist (from some ribbing I had left over having done my shrug - I really should show photos of that item. It's the most successful thing I've made to date...).

I didn't have a pattern, needless to say. But I've read that the amount of rib you use should be 2/3 the circumference of the item you are ribbing. I could only make it so thick - not thick enough, on balance - because that's all the ribbing I had to work with. Nonetheless, I did end up with something one can wear...

Thing I Love

My friend Nicole, fellow sewist, made some utterly gorgeous zipper pouches for her friends and family this Xmas. Honestly, this workmanship is incredible. It's a freakin' work of art.


When an item looks as good on the inside as outside, you know you've got talent. Now I have the best new makeup bag!

Hide and Seek

I had the most fabulous breakfast with our fave, mid-Atlantic island-dwelling Seeker, and her terrific husband and sister.

What a pleasure to meet her after having read her blog for such a long while. Of course, I suggested that our meeting would have been entirely more fun in her 'hood - but there's always next time :-) Strangely, the sun has come out (though cold is dreadfully persistent), in honour of her visit. Um, I live here all the time - doesn't the weather owe me a thing or two??

I'm vaguely traumatized that these photos inadequately express Seeker's incredible, gentle - but assertive - chicness. She was wearing leather pants, peeps - and she rocks them!


I hope that she has a terrific rest of visit, relaxing and enjoying some time with family. This is one woman who deserves it!

Potential Copyright Infringement?

My daughter, sporting some of my handmade items today, advised me that she was wearing her new "Club Momaco". Hmmmm... :-)