Flypaper thoughts day before New Year's Eve edition

• I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas
• Know that not all are spectacular and that not all folks like the holidays
• But I do, assembling as much of the family as we can and making the dishes we always make marks the years for me
• With the poignancy that brings
• High point was seeing Miss Heidi fast asleep in a fluffy eyeshade
• I will remember that
• I will forget the part where the new dog decided to mark the corners of an unfamiliar room by lifting his leg
• Back to high points
• My formerly cynical youngest son had decorated lit candles around the place and a fridge full of drinks when we arrived
• Candles
• My son
• My husband had an idea of filming us all inside the house with a drone
• We put a stop to that plan
• Note to new couples
• Pay close attention to your first Christmas menus
• Once the kids get used to it you are making the same thing year after year
• I made mistake with a little number called Potatoes Romanoff
• Sour cream, potatoes, cheese casserole etc.
• Fine dining for sure
• Everyone still wants it but modern eaters just pick at it
• Heaven forbid that it isn't on the table though
• Now onto New Year's
• Sister and brother-in-law here for the week
• Dinner and a movie
• Men want documentaries
• Not often I am speechless
• Thinking about sewn items I wore most this year
• Turns out my own eyeshade
• Highly recommend for deep sleeping
• Heidi gets this
• Also a frumpy polar fleece sweater thing with good pockets
• Wore it about 10,000 times more often than my careful blazer
• Note to self
• Remember you have an ordinary life
• Had the neighbours in
• Man across the street won the lotto and quit work years ago
• Full time job now is monitoring the street
• Most informative guest
• Picks things up when he dog sits and snow shovels
• Takes out my garbage when my husband travels
• Won the lotto and takes out my garbage
• Not the only one around here who feels the pull of the ordinary life I guess
• Good neighbours are good things
• Did some baking before my company arrived
• Then ate it all before they did
• This is actually true
• No shortage of new year's resolutions to make around here

2016 pick for best sewer's gift

Browsing an accessory catalogue this morning because I have wrapping to do, major cooking, and the house looks like someone has done nothing but sew and take care of small children in it for two weeks, and I spotted this:

I mean really how cool.

Now off to larger tasks. We are loading up the RV and all going out to my youngest son's tomorrow for dinner and a sleep over, assuming those kids actually will sleep. Bonfire on the beach planned.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Daisy's boyfriend

As promised here is a shot of Moose, sitting in his front yard in the sleet waiting for Daisy to come as far as his house. Almost, but not quite, captures his fixation.

Love is strange.

The day before the day before Christmas

Don't fall over. This is actually a sewing post. I know where all my recipients are, one is out the door from the basement apartment after a double shift to start her Christmas shopping, one DG (dear girlfriend?) gone home to Tatamagouche for a few days to be with her family before dinner with us, and my daughter has just adopted a Golden Retriever that needed to be rehomed and everyone over there is either recovering from stomach flu or getting a cold - so I think it is safe to say she is occupied. (Send good dog support thoughts to Reggie, he is really trying so hard to fit in).

All of this means I am going to share with you a project that I have been making multiples of for Christmas.

It is the free Heidi pattern from Swoon.

First of all this is a really nice pattern but, I am going to be honest here, like too many Indie patterns that instructions seem to have chosen the hardest to accomplish way to do things rather than the one that will make it easiest for the sewer, the new one in particular. 

(An aside on the use of sewer versus sewist. I admit to not being an early adopter of some more appropriate names - gender neutral sure but some adaptions I don't pick up comfortably. Fishers for example versus fishermen or fisherwomen. To me the only fisher is the fisher of men. As for sewist I get it but I am fine with sewer. As an aside my daughter-in-law went to an infrastructure conference in New York a few years ago and they were giving out little buttons (OK shaped like manhole covers) that had NY Sewer on them. She brought one home for me and I wear it on my jacket because both she and I read it differently.)

Now back to the pattern.

I will show pictures and tell you the construction instructions issues I think there are:

There is a zipper in the top of course and the instructions tell you to fold back the end of the zipper tape out of the way, which might make sense but the zipper specified is a bit short for the opening (helpful because you don't stitch over the tape) the trouble with this is that you are left with some raw edges to deal with in those small gaps at the end of the project. Much better to stitch the tapes right to the end which will take care of turning under those edges under.

And, get this, the instructions also tell you to turn the bag inside out and top stitch around the zipper working from inside the bag - so difficult to do and totally unnecessary. Either don't top stitch at all or do so, stopping a 3/4" at either end to make it easy to turn, just after you insert the zipper.

There is a useful zipper on the back of the bag. The instructions said to baste the opening closed, layer the fabric and lining and top stitch the whole lot in one go and just hope it all catches. Instead stitch the zipper to the garment fabric, then the lining fabric and then top stitch. Three steps instead of one but you save your nerves, always a good thing.

I learned to install magnetic snaps, bags are interesting, I like doing something I haven't done before in all my years of garment sewing. Snaps BTW are a snap.

The recycled leather means some piecing but I think that's just fine. Hardware makes the bags I am discovering

BTW in recognition of life as I am living it I have started to cut up my gabardine straight skirt stash from my previous more formal work life and am using some of the cottons that caught my eye but, let's face it I will probably not use for shirts. Oh and the leather in the details and straps are leftovers from the jackets I cut up for my man bags, sewn faultessly on this Bernina 740.

Now off to wrap and in case you need a laugh, and who doesn't, here is a piece on mindful wrapping, which I can tell you is not likely to be practiced in this house today.

What does sewing add to your life?

I got overwhelmed this week. It is the week before Christmas and anyone who says take it easy no one expects you to do all this, is probably male.

My mother had surgery. The kids had snow days. A last minute online order got cancelled. I really want this to be a good book.

It was the kind of week where my husband casually mentioned he had invited the neighbours in for an open house later in the day I am also hosting his entire family. You don't have to do anything he said.

I think you get my drift.

Faced with my cancelled order and in a kind of a trance, induced by the decision I was not going to go into any stores or drive these crazy roads, I downloaded a little bag pattern and started sewing.

I have never done anything like this before. I don't understand the pieces and have no idea how these things are going to look like when they are done. I am trying really hard. I am engaged, as we say in the education business. I am absorbed, as we say in the distracted mind business. I am letting other thoughts float by, as they say on the mediation app.

Most of my garment sewing is almost like production work some days. I have done this before, I know the outcome and want to get there.

These bags are bringing all my sewer into focus.

And you know what?

Suddenly in the middle of it I realized I was myself again. I felt happy. I was relaxed. I am pleased with myself.

Then I remembered that I really like the neighbours. I remembered how last walk how Daisy's Bernese Mountain dog boyfriend, who by the way is called Moose, was so busy swooning on his back for her he slid down a snowbank onto the road and didn't take his eyes off her. I talked to my mother who was happy we sent her a box of baking like she used to send us, with a pair of beaters in it I got from Value Village, because one year she was so harassed she mailed her own beaters in the box too. And my husband said he is going to make gumbo for the open house and that this is one of his best dishes. And Miss Heidi told me that she is sure the Elf on the Shelf doesn't mind the bad things I do, except the part where I said he is a tattle tale.

The point is that somehow sewing puts my world back on axis. Not sure how that happens but quite sure I need to make sure I don't forget that.

Now my question for you this morning is,  what does sewing add to your life?

Quick pics

This afternoon my heartbreaker out for a walk:

And here are some more man bags, these ones made from a repurposed lady's leather jacket, getting close to done here:

Flypaper thoughts cold night version

• My secret sewing/knitting/crocheting continues
• Good, I guess, for Christmas 
• Bad for the blog business
• In that transition stage now where the folks who were getting hand made shirts and then socks are now getting slippers made in mega bulky wool on 10 mm needles
• Such is reality
• Speaking of which
• Went to a funeral today for my husband's sweet aunt
• I thought the priest talked way too long about sinners
• I wanted to stand up and say 
• Listen
• I am sure when she meets him the Lord will say "Elizabeth there should have been more like you"
• Credit where credit's due
• Fabulous reception afterwards
• The kind you get on an island off Cape Breton
• Sort of an all you can eat affair in a room full of characters and charming men
• Speaking of which
• This aunt married a handsome no goodnik late in life
• The high point of the reception was my gentle and ladylike mother-in-law at a table
• With scissors
• Cutting him out of pictures in the family albums during dessert
• I love that family
• For Christmas I have asked everyone to give us donations to rescue organizations instead
• Was asked tonight if saving the brown-nosed bat counts
• Might have to consider that one
• But if we don't save them 
• Who will?
• By the way whoever says abused puppy mill dogs never recover
• Hasn't met Daisy
• She gets feistier by the day
• Knocks the laptop out of my hand if I write too long
• Even has a boyfriend
• A Bernese Mountain Dog who rolls over and waits when he sees her
• At 16 pounds she is driving him wild
• Hear he waits by the door for her all afternoon
• Then again she dresses well
• Red jacket and red boots
• Sorry if you aren't an animal person
• But the sewing is top secret
• And at least I don't keep bats
• Yet

The cone of Christmas silence

This happens to me every year.

I get close to Christmas and although I am sewing more I start posting less. There are problems when your recipients also read your blog.

I also find this time of year is just busy. Lucky my husband and I were able to squeeze in another trip to Brooklyn, which is a recharge/refresh for us, but since we came back it has been nutso around here.

And now the government has shut out the kids from schools due to contract negotiations and the fact the premier is a bonehead so that's a lot of kids who will be needing extra care.

You get my drift.

I am able however to share one project with you, being made for a few of my male family members, because they, fortunately, have better things to do than read my blog.

I have been making men's shaving bags, Dopp kits to some, out of cut up leather jackets from Value Village.

I have tried to sew leather in the past, with mixed results, but Bernina Canada has lent me a 740 for my book writing project and I wanted to see if a better machine would do a better job.

The answer to that one is oh yes, it sure does. 

This machine has a dual feed built in and the power of my lovely vintage Berninas. Basically I am able to make these bags just as if I was sewing cotton, no skipped stitches, no problem with layers, which is amazing. I was geared up for a lot more stress I can tell you. I have used a denim needle as well as a leather one and to tell you the truth the denim was just as effective. Mind you this is garment leather I am using, I am not doing shoe repairs, so a leather needle might be needed if I went heavier. 

I used this free pattern from Thread Theory


Here is the leather I got from one $20 Value Village coat (I used my 30% discount for donating as well):

I lined with some heavy rip stop nylon. It is a somewhat wide and squat bag but useful I think:

The construction is interesting, basically you line and finish the short ends with binding and then sew the corners through all layers (this is the part where the machine impressed me).

Here is the lined version before that happens:

And here is sort of how the bag opens.

I am making more of these over the next few days and now I am wondering if after the smoke clears holiday wise if I will do a leather bag for myself next.

Talk soon.

5, 10 20 minutes to sew

Do you all remember Nancy Zeiman's book by this name? The idea was that you could get a lot of sewing done in increments.

Well I have my own interpretation of that. 

I like to do everything else in increments so I have more time to sew.

Take cooking.

 My husband, who does an overwhelming share of the cooking, will spend hours and hours getting something just right (sometimes we eat real late).

I, on the other hand, have a 10 minute rule for most dishes. If I can do it in 10 minutes or less I will make it, if not I don't. There is something about slapping down three meals a day for three kids for a couple of decades that go me to this place.

I have a friend who even sends me recipe ideas, some she labels, as "see Barbara it only takes 10 minutes" other ones she labels as "get Leo to make this for us in Florida."

I have been thinking about this because just this weekend I made a pan of granola bar things so we can have something sweet but trick ourselves into thinking it is OK and they were excellent.I clocked the counter to oven time at about 7.5 minutes. (In a hotel in Maine now will share the recipe when I am home. Oh and by the way this place is an amazing yarn shop, best I have seen in a long time. Worth a detour to Freeport.)

Housework, something I feel was invented only to frustrate sewers who have better things to do, is another place where I try to proceed with time limits and minimalism. In that department here are two of my current time limiters:

• A battery operated vacuum. Mine goes hard for about 10 minutes which is great because then I can stop, no choice, in the middle of a job and say, well I might as well go serge something now.
• Disinfectant wipes. Bulk at Costco. I keep these in the bathroom and kitchen and swipe stuff down and then throw them out (I know but I recycle and compost everything else in this house). Behind the taps, in the corners of the floor, the front of the cupboards. Not everyone is like my sweet MIL who keeps a plastic shower cap over her toaster so dust doesn't go down the toast slots. I can head off a lot of real cleaning with those wipes.

Now over to you.

I am super interested in your 10 minute sewing time liberation ideas. 

I am sure we all are.

How to you cheat some sewing time into your own life?

Flypaper thoughts Sunday morning edition

• Doing Chrismas sewing this weekend
• Missed my inspiration when I didn't go to the Guild's "Christmas quickies" talk
• Watch the US election instead from the seat of my exercise bike
• No Christmas craft ideas there
• Just blew out my knee from peddling so hard
• I used to work for politicians
• Learned one thing
• Never underestimate either the ego or the ambition
• Sewing on the other hand is hugely humbling
• Particularly at that moment when you realize you are actually not going to make all the men shirts and all the women sweaters
• And you start wondering about serged cosmetic bags
• OK Babsie do a triple back flip with a twist on the trampoline
• Sure
• Close your eyes
• Ta dah!
• You missed it
• Miss Heidi says what she wants for Christmas is for me to move into the other bunk in her room
• Not a bad idea
• There's good toys in that bunk
• Her sister wants replacements for everything I have given her before that she has broken or lost
• Off to New York with the husband this week
• He wants to see shows and keep me out of the garment district
• My 89 year old mother went to a Halloween party dressed as an Olympic swimmer
• Best thing you can do for adult children is to show them how to age
• Dumbest thing anyone said to me was that dogs stop developing when they are young
• Broken hearts by four months, broken forever
• Best thing dogs do for you is showing you spunky comes back
• Took Daisy two years to be brave enough to bark
• Now she bunts the computer off my lap if I am not paying attention to her
• Ego and ambition aren't everything

Underwear review

Ages ago I made myself some underwear, but never continued, mainly because the pattern I used didn't fit and it seemed too much trouble to fiddle around fitting with something that was so easy to buy.

Lately however I have been eyeing my bamboo, rayon, and nice cotton knit remnants and thinking they were too good to throw out, and thinking I should revisit sewing my own undies.

First the patterns. 

These are the ones I used in my trials. I know the fabrics are pretty wild, but this was muslin work.

First: Jan Bones' The Smoothie:

The key features of this pattern are great bum coverage, high cut front legs made possible by the side seams shifted to the front, which gives that back wrap.

Before showing you my sample I have to say I learned something in my practice sewing. This was that on my body, with my personal requirement that nothing was too tight, particularly the front leg (don't you just hate it when that digs in?) the elastic really worked best when it was applied one to one, except a little stretched under the back, sort of a finish to the raw edge not a gather.

What this means is that the off the machine version looks really wavy, although on me it lay flat, and after a day's wear the waviness had disappeared. Interesting.

The wear test was important, I have learned the hard way that the way something looks and how it feels are too different things. I never want to review anything without that all day test.

Grade: A 

Comfortable and since this pattern has been drafted for sewn in elastic, it will be a good choice when I can't find any stretch lace or foldover elastic to match my fabric:

Next pattern Kwik Sew 3881:

This pattern was a surprise. I have a 40" hip and cut out the medium. When I looked at the pattern pieces they seemed huge but I sewed it up anyway, basted the side seams once the crotch was sewn in, and tried it on.

Old lady droopy drawers.You don't need pictures to convey that - use your imagination. Here are the pattern pieces. Big at the back and low cut legs at the front:

Grade: F, at least on me.

Next pattern two versions of the same pattern:

Jalie 2568:

I made both the "hipster" (more a boycut) and bikini versions of this pattern. Here is the bikini version. It was nice but didn't have enough rear coverage for me at all, you can see how high the back leg is cut. The bisected butt is not a good look. However for someone less heavily endowed in that department it might work great:

Grade: D for me but may be someone else's A

Finally I made the hipster version, sort of an afterthought, the boycut never appealed to me, not being a boy myself. But then again as my kids say I am one of the original hipsters (not totally sure what that means or if it is a compliment or not, something about sewing when sewing wasn't cool I think) so I tried this out.

Interestingly this pattern had the option of a turned and stitched leg opening and since the fabric for this pair was a bamboo knit with fair body I tried that too, using a nice three step zig zag. I used a fold over elastic for the waist because I thought that would work with the grey and the boycut thing.

Here we go:

Now this was just a muslin trial but I did wear these and was most impressed. The back coverage is good, unlike the other pattern companies there is only one crotch seam in the Jalies, and I found that comfortable. The front legs weren't as low as I expected. Most of all I was impressed with how well the turned under leg looked and this was definitely the most comfortable of all my pairs from that perspective.

This was the fastest panty to construct and will probably be one of my favourite patterns. My sense though is that if you are turning and stitching you really need a good two-way fabric with some recovery, with thinner and less bounce back fabrics I will probably use the Jan Bones pattern.

Grade A+

I don't think I will be buying underwear again. My two As are much nicer to wear than anything currently in the drawer.

Esme top and me

Well a bit of catch up to do here.

First a bit of news.

One reason I have been AWOL is I have been getting a new project set-up, specifically a book I will be writing for C&T Publications, on you guessed it, sewing. This will take some time, but as this is my favourite subject I am enjoying this process.  Stay tuned.

And of course I have been actually sewing too.

I had a brief flash of remembering I need to make more basics, so I went back to my Stylearc Esme top that I had made sleeveless, and made one with sleeves, because it is pretty clear to me that summer is more or less over.

I like this top but think it is worth another go with the neckline pulled in. I have one of those scrawny necks and the '50s rolled collar is a little wide. I think it is worth moving this neckline in and may make another one soon to do this.

It is interesting to me that Stylearc seems to understand my lower body, pants fit in particular, perfectly but the tops require fitting adjustments always. I make the pants in a 12 and the tops in 10 but these tops still strike me as a bit wide.  I will have to work out a formula for this for this pattern line:

In the meantime here is the long sleeved Esme with my Stylerc Margaret pants:

The back neck, one of the nice features of this top

See you can see my bra strap slightly, got to bring in that neckline

Full view, interesting that the sleeves are narrow relative to the body - I know this is a style issue but also also common in the draft

The high low here on the top is quite flattering, I am also figuring out that a firmer fabric like this ponte is better for stomach disguise purposes than a clingy knit. Only took me about 40 years to figure that out.

Now off I go. Some Serious Christmas sewing underway, but now I have some of my other business straight in my head there will more more regular blogging, so brace yourselves.

On minimalist wardrobes

Well.

The best thing about this blog is your comments. Really what fascinating reading.

You make me think.

Thank you so much for that, for taking the time to share.

A few thoughts of my own now, seems less profound than what you have written here but here goes.

My house was built in 1958.

The bedrooms have closets that are a little more than one standard door wide, probably less than 3 feet across in each one. This surely reflects the number of clothes folks wore then.

Who had a walk-in closet in those days? How many families had three, four, five kids and one bathroom?

Imagine trying to talk minimalism then?

So this is about the times as much as about clothing collections.

After all you need a fair amount of stuff before you "edit".

I have just got back from New York where I did have to pack a minimalist wardrobe to get by with a case I could carry on,  in black and grey (which I hardly ever wear at all at home these days) so I looked a little less like I had an out of towner sign on my forehead - although I am sure I blew that one every time I opened my mouth and got all chatty with everyone I met.

It also occurred to me that all these minimalist wardrobe articles and adherents seem to be from New York. Thin racks of white shirts and black pants etc.

Well have you ever been in a Manhattan apartment? My son once shared one for a rent that would have paid for a mortgage with a pool and a four car garage around here that was so small he had to put his shoes on the dresser. Worth it of course because there was so much going on outside that apartment, but you can see where the minimalist thing might be pretty handy in apartments like that.

OK what do I think?

Well I get a uniform in that you don't have to think about getting dressed but what defines a uniform? 

We all have one I guess, our go to - for everyone it is different (that's a great next topic - what is your uniform?) For me it would be an apron on at home and poop bags in my pocket when I go out, knitting in my purse in case I have to wait anywhere, knit tops I don't have to iron.

Back to minimalism.

It seems to me that this works for folks who have minds on other things. Of course Obama is a wardrobe minimalist.

But what if you are a person whose mind, at least a good part of it, is on the business of your wardrobe? Mine is and what's in that closet (three now of the '50s kind) is more than a work in progress, more a record of my changing ambitions and ideas. I am always starting from scratch it seems, always trying to figure out a better way to get dressed every day (and for someone who has just confessed to poop bags being her most consistent accessory this is a remarkable indication of optimism and lack of self-perception). 

I can't imagine of multiples of any of the same thing. 

To make laundry easier? Maybe if you did it in the laundromat, but I don't mind going downstairs to the washing machine when I have to - it's next to my sewing room and there is always something interesting to do in there.

And colour.

I couldn't live in black, grey and white no matter how easy it would be to dress.

Who could do without coral in a summer dress?

A red jacket in the rain?

A green sweater on a grey day?

Or how about combos?

How nice wine goes with sky blue.

Or lime green next to navy.

What about great buttons?

You know the really amazing ones.

Why cull those out?

Why eat just toast when there is pie?

Why is it is so important to focus on only the best things and cherish them?

They are just things.

What you cherish are four-year-olds.

Quality things are easy enough to find.

Finding the quality people takes more work.

This week I took my friend for a walk.

They are calling it frontal lobe dementia.

Early onset.

I did the zipper up on his jacket. The jacket didn't matter, that he had candies in his pocket he put there for me did.

His dog walked at a pace with us. Slowly and stopping every few yards to make sure we were still OK.

I am thinking minimalism comes anyway sometimes,

In the meantime I think I will go with living brightly.

What do you think of the minimalist/capsule wardrobe?

On my way out the door and so am going to be thinking about this but would love to hear your thoughts on this approach, seems to be a movement these days.

More from me later of course.

Sewers are born and made

A lovely story from Tasmania if you haven't already seen this:

Complete random non sewing related photos

If you have absolutely nothing else going on this Sunday afternoon you might be interested in a completely random range of pictures from my week.

I am settled back home now, great trip to NYC, and a head full of thoughts on fitting. As to those who have inquired about using the FIT library you can do so but need to apply for research access. I was able to get that using my university affiliation, not sure what the general policy is. If you can visit that library I have to say it is great. I am currently on a fitting method research tear and the access to a wide range of materials was fantastic.

BTW am I the only one who thinks that the '70s-mid 80s were the golden age of sewing books? 

I am amazed at how many interesting and quite diverse approaches to fitting were developed during that period. As many of these books are still available via eBay or online resellers like Abe Books I am thinking of doing some reviews of my favourites. Good resources if you want to read original thinking and really get your teeth into topics.

I have been busy since I came back and the upcoming week looks even busier. I need to sew though but need some small projects. One thing I was thinking of doing was making some panties, something I haven't done for about 20 years, trying and comparing three patterns, Jalie, Kwik Sew and Jan Bones. What do you think of that?

I should be able to fit in that kind of sewing in between more worthy tasks.

Now onto the random photos as promised:

It is well-established I can't crochet but that didn't stop me from finishing this little unit, helped through to completion by my fascination with the US election coverage which also seems to be going in circles.

I had little Billy over for the weekend and he and I decided to try my new upholstery cleaning device. Since he and Miss Daisy are largely responsible for making this machine a necessity it seemed only fair they help me use it.

Canadian Thanksgiving was a little less than two weeks ago and my husband does the cooking. My mother gave him this jacket as a joke but he actually wears it for big meals and special effect.

I really have my eye on this longer, knit version of a moto jacket. I got some great zippers in New York now I have to just figure out the rest of it and what pattern I should start from.

Even though I don't really crochet very well I still haunt Ravelry for ideas. There is something going on in the minds of crocheters though. In case you can't recognize it the above is a crochet placenta. Of course. What every family needs.

Probably shouldn't put an ambiguous picture of food next but what you see above are some stuffed grape leaves made by the guy in the chef's jacket. What is interesting is he used the grape leaves from the vine that grows around my front window. He made about 500 of these. They freeze.

Now off to trace pantie patterns. Of course.