Mimosa Top is Done!

I realized when posting this picture that some of my non-sewing friends might look at this and think, "Hmmm, it looks the same as before, what gives?"

The finished version has finished armhole bindings and fasteners. The previous version had raw armholes and was pinned onto Miss Acme.

Those armholes...PITA, I tell you! It took me 2 days to get them installed. I'm not sure exactly why these were so hard. Partly a function of that "well behaved" synthetic olive fabric that I praised in a previous post, I think. It didn't play well with me on the bias and became somewhat bulky. I'm also not totally sold on the pattern instructions for applying the bindings. The Sewing Workshop typically has great methods on its instruction sheets, but I found the technique given for the Mimosa was a bit fiddly. I'll try it again just to see how it works with a different fabric.

For the fasteners, I used big snaps instead of buttons and buttonholes, kind of a nod to current RTW trends. I'm not sure if the placement is exactly right, but I can always adjust later if I'm bugged. And the underlap peeking out at the bottom? Yes, it's supposed to be that way.

I'm looking forward to wearing this. It'll be fun and a little different. I need to find the olive tencel so I can make coordinating pants.

Mimosa Top in Progress

I've been slowly making progress on the Mimosa Top that I started at the Sewing Workshop Getaway. And here's where I am now:




I put in a lining, inspired by an offhand comment Linda made about using georgette for a weightless, bulkless lining in pants. I wanted to increase the "slide factor" of this of the top but without bulking/stiffening it up. Stash to the rescue! The lining is thin Joann's poly georgette/chiffon stuff that worked very well for what I had in mind. Plus, the print is fun and cheerful:




You may be seeing this fabric again. For some unknown reason, I bought 5 yards of it!

I'm also in the process of adding the neck band and bindings, made from leftover olive mystery fabric that I used for a less-than-successful pair of Plaza Pants at the first Getaway. While the tweed is a lovely fabric, I just felt that it was a little too plain for the entire top. The olive adds a bit of pop. Surprisingly for a man-made fabric, it pressed fairly easily and is generally well-behaved. I completed the neck band last night, so it's onward to binding the arm holes.


The Now Shirt? Not much progress since bringing it home. I basted the center front line in both fronts and I've selected buttons, but that's all. I need to drag out and set up another machine that makes those good automatic buttonholes. So, I'm procrastinating as a result.

I Suppose I'm the Devil Now...

You see, I'm a banker. And we're somehow responsible for all the ills of the world. Credit cards going up? Yup, my fault. Foreclosure? OK, that would be me. Rates (too high or too low)? Uh huh, my bad. Trips? Yeah, whatever.

Well, I'm done with all that.

I just got insulted by someone on a sewing chat site. When I called her out on it, she said she meant the Fat Cats, not the people at the teller line or managing the branch. Well dear, your idea of a Fat Cat and someone else's may not be the same. I'm not a teller nor do I manage a branch (both jobs are in my personal category of you couldn't pay me enough...). However, I do hold a managerial position. I dunno, maybe that would make some of you consider me a Fat Cat. If so, you may leave my blog forever and delete my name from your feeds.

The same person also told me that many more people agreed with her, and that she knew what she was talking about because her Senator (whoever that is!) and the Wall Street Journal* tell her so. Well, I guess that makes it ok, right?

I'm so sick of the mob mentality that seems to be prevalent today. Too many people think they should sound like a pundit at all times for any reason. I tell you, I'm sick to death of ideology and blather. Shut up and stop pissing and moaning. Please, I beg you. I'm tired of hearing a bunch of chatter that solves nothing. We're all good at complaining, but no one seems compelled to actually do anything to fix it.

I believe there's plenty of blame to go around. It may make you feel better to demonize an industry--take your pick!! If banking doesn't suit you, then try real estate, automotive, or even food processing! Or pick something else--that favorite whipping boy, the government. Or Octomom. Blame all you want, but it doesn't actually solve anything, does it?

But remember, as the old comic strip Pogo used to say "we have met the enemy, and he is us." It was true then, and it's true now.

*Please note, I have no personal beef with the Wall Street Journal. I read it every day. But it's not the fount of all financial knowledge. You still need to interpret what you read there.

Valentine's Day

My sweetie sent me something a little different for Valentine's this year--a teddy bear! I'm not much of a stuffed animal person, but I have to admit that she's very cute:



She's from VermontTeddyBear.com; this company has totally nailed the marketing/customer service angle. For example, the delivery guy at the office couldn't wait for me to open it because he'd heard about them on the radio.

DF still thinks the Blizzaks are the best gift ever, though...but that's a man for you.

More on the Getaway

...and yes, there are pictures! At last!

Linda kicked us off with a trunk show Thursday evening. Of course, I was sitting on the end of the semi circle, so it wasn't easy to get good photos. But here are some of the better ones of the group. Linda is wearing a Zig Zag Shirt from one of her newer Sewing Workshop patterns in all of these photos. No doubt, you'll be seeing more over time.

This one features the t-shirt from the new Trio pattern. Love it. I already have visions of making it up many times in many variations. Lengthened it would be a fabulous dress. Linda brought two of these--the chartreuse one is wool jersey, and the other one was in poly/lycra. The rest of the pattern was pretty cool (the pants are wild, and yes, I think I'll make a pair), but pretty distinctive. However, the T a classic and the real reason to buy the pattern.





In the next picture. Linda is wearing the Valencia Jacket and is talking about the Peony Vest, in response to a question about how to find fabrics. The vest was made out of kimono fabric and has been worn so much that she keeps adding to it with bindings, etc. I've seen this vest before, but obviously it's a classic that keeps on going.





The next picture features the Zig Zag Shirt and Pants. The pants on this are fitted, with princess seams in the back of the leg and some detailing and the lower leg (which you can see in the photo). I haven't gotten this one yet, but I kind of like the idea of those pants. They'd be interesting in a small houndstooth, with the fabric turned to the bias in the lower leg section.





I bought 3 patterns, the Hudson, the Liberty Shirt, and the new Trio ensemble. I have to admit, I didn't much care for either the Hudson or the Trio by looking at the pattern envelope but they are beautiful made up. I tried on the Hudson Pants and really liked them, so that'll probably be what I make most from that one, although a touch longer since I'm not a huge fan of cropped pants--1970's youth, I suppose. Same thing with the Trio pants. Linda brought several Liberty shirts with her, and they are really great on. I'm thinking that it would be a nice pattern for a lightweight spring jacket for work. In other words, it's attractive and not too avant garde for banking (ha!!)




And yes, I did buy fabric I didn't "need," but wanted. I think I did ok. I got 3 pieces and a remnant at Satin Moon, one of our field trips on Friday.





Left: black rayon Japanese georgette. The colors are so beautiful, in this piece. Center: Japanese cotton lawn. Interesting print, one of the owners told me that the Japanese fabric companies are using more and more young designers for their prints, which is really showing in the designs and colorways. This one is a little retro in feel but the colors are combined in a different way. Right: this one is slightly felted, tie-dye wool from India. There was also a gray and black bolt, but I had to go for the colors. This one is definitely a coating weight. Oops, I neglected to take a picture of the remnant, but it's a very interesting upholstery tapestry.


Next are the two Ralph Lauren wool double knits I bought from Linda. Lush, and I'll never see anything like them at local stores. Notice the turquoise one will be perfect for this project (yes, still on the burner)





Of course, there was sewing. I was able to get quite a bit done on two garments, a Now shirt




and a Mimosa Top





The Now Shirt is complete except for buttonholes and buttons. I felt it was best to finish that at home since I neither had the buttons picked out nor knew the machine very well (machines were provided at the Getaway). The Mimosa is also pretty well along. I'm adding a lining because the fabric has a sticky texture from its silk/cotton content, and I didn't want to fight with the garment if I wore it with a t underneath. There really isn't all that much left to do--famous last words to be sure, but hopefully I'm right.


Linda also adjusted the Mimosa Pant pattern, which is a classic no waistband pant and a great basic. I'm pretty sure those are the same pants she's wearing in the trunk show pictures above (Terri, thanks for asking). So that's something else from the Getaway.

What did I like about the Getaway at the Sewing Workshop?

Ok, so it's been a week since I left for San Francisco and the Sewing Workshop Getaway. What did I like? In no particular order, here you are:

• Time to work, with minimal interruptions. I felt productive and inspired.


• Immersion in sewing. Sewing from Thursday evening through Sunday morning. Bliss! I never have that much time to focus on garment making.


• I love Linda’s problem-solving approach—it’s a combination of calm, knowing the pattern, learning the fabric, learning the body the garment will be made for. Strangely,I'd describe it as a cross of Zen and analysis.


• Trunk show, seeing all the garments made up and being able to try them on for fit. Sewing Workshop’s patterns are not based on a single block. They develop the patterns from existing clothes from different sources. With such an approach, trying on is very helpful.


• Visit to Satin Moon. It’s a nice, albeit tiny, fabric store. Exquisite stuff and the proprietors are quirky in a nice way. Not inexpensive, but there are some unique and gorgeous fabrics there.


• Chinese food. Our lunches were heavy on the Chinese. Friday, we had lunch near Satin Moon, but Saturday featured dim sum and Sunday had normal Chinese takeout (but excellent, after all we were in San Francisco!)


• Yves St. Laurent exhibit at the deYoung museum. OMG, you must see this!! There were a lot of amazing garments, but the impression I came away with was how ahead of the curve he was. There were ensembles that any of us would be thrilled to wear today, yet the labels indicated they were from the early 60s! This really brought home to me how much influence he had on how we live today. Aside from that, numerous pieces of eye candy, and a fair share of amusing arty pieces.


• Dinner with Erica. DF’s niece lives in San Francisco, so it was lovely to meet another member of the family of which I will someday be a member. We ate at a small but wonderful Italian place right up the street from the Laurel Inn, my home away from home. Yes, I know I'm being somewhat repetitious, having done the same last time. But isn't that part of the joy of repeat visits to the same city?


• It was a smaller group than usual, which was great. Little competition for help, easy access to the serger and the irons.


• I got to meet some really cool people. The other women in the class were an interesting group of smart, capable people. It's nice to be with like-minded, intelligent women who sew.

I realize still haven't provided any pictures and there's still more to tell. I still owe pictures of what I bought at Satin Moon and the patterns I bought at the very least. But that will need to wait for another post. Stay tuned...

Quick-Like

This will be a really short update, since I got back last night and I'm at work today.

The trip was fun! I felt productive--I completed a Now Shirt except for the buttons and buttonholes and made quite a lot of progress on a Mimosa Top. Linda tweaked the Mimosa Pants pattern for me so that's almost ready to start on. Once again, I got to try on many of the sample garments so I have a pretty good idea of what fits.

I'll post more later but just wanted to let you know I was back. I was able to read all your comments on the Touch (Thank You!!), but posting to the blog was not as easy to accomplish.