Completion but not the sewing

I am settling in at home again after a weekend in Montreal and Ottawa. I have a sister in Ottawa and we drove up to Montreal on Saturday so I could speak at a memorial for my old and best friend Sue.

People say these things are good for closure and I don't like that word. I am never going to be closing any kind of door on her. But on a beautiful bright sunny day I felt and still feel a real sense of completion, which is different, and better. She was interned with the husband she lost 33 years ago, when we were all young and just married. Those were the pictures I saw all around me and somehow that day felt like the right thing.

We talked about how her house really did have an unfinished sewing project in each room and when her sister said to me Sue had gone into the hospital suddenly and the house showed she thought she would be back, I knew that was code to me that there were still sewing and knitting projects everywhere when they went into the house. 

I thought that was O.K. too. 

Better to always be a work in progress with works in progress. I actually think she got most pleasure out of the planning and starting than the finishing anyway and that's all that matters.

Men's shirts

In between other things the last week I managed to get some overdue shirt making done.

I have a thing going with the men around here that for birthdays and events if they pick out a fun fabric from Hawthorne Threads (best service anywhere) I will make up a shirt to specs.

Here is the one I made for my son in NYC including a picture I received from him this morning on him. Yes I know this is out of the package and needs an iron but my boys all went out into the world with good shirt ironing skills - you know I still can't get over what they pay other people to do for them in New York City, but everything you can you should know how to do yourself.

At least that's my world view.

Back to the shirt:

This was the pattern I used, my standard for this guy, although I am going to flatten the sleeve cap a bit next time to make it easier to set in, more shirt like and less blouse like:

I also made a shirt for my husband the family dinner cook, with a fabric pattern that suits him for obvious reasons:

I used a different pattern for him just to try it out, this one from Kwik Sew that as expected fit together very painlessly:

A couple of things about this pattern. First it is not as fitted as the photo might imply. Think more of the business shirts men where in the southern US, a looser fit, what some call a traditional fit as opposed to tapered.

That is exactly what is popular around here and I will be definitely be making this one again in some other tasteful fabric.

When I do though I will add to the seam allowances. This shirt is drafted with 1/4" s.a. which makes putting in the collar so much easier of course, but I really like to do more with the seams in a shirt than a serge and stitch - my only option here. Mostly I do french seams and top-stitch them down (looks the same as a flat felled but much easier) and I wish I had had the option to do that here.

Great free exercise app

A person needs some exercise.

If you don't do something you will end up having to learn new alterations. That's that.

I know this, but really am too busy to go to a gym I like something I can do at home with only the dogs watching.

However after the big fix-up I was given a list of exercises I was not supposed to do if I were going to avoid another hoist up of the insides (TMI but this is just between us).


In trying to reconcile all of this I found a fantastic free app that is both pelvic floor safe but also really effective.

It covers all the basis, including stretches which are important, and has three levels.

I need to stress however that although these are safe exercises for folks like me that is mainly because a lot of them are done on the exercise ball but are also serious and suitable for the general population.

I have this loaded onto my iPad, the one I dropped and now is held together with Scotch tape to the embarrassment of my children (it still works, so what's the big deal? Your mother has no need to be cool). The workouts are simple and show you a quick video of each exercise if you want before you do it. There is also a clock you watch to tell you when you have done enough.

At any rate this is worth sharing, really a first class and simple way to avoid the need to learn more alterations.

The link for the app is here.

Link for Madeleine top

Here is that link to the Stylearc top.

FYI it is essentially a top with a pleat in it at the waist and a band that goes over it and is inserted into the side seam,s

A green outfit

I posted a shot of myself sitting down in this outfit a while ago. 

It has taken me some time to slow down my photographer enough to get pictures when he is home. The husband has been busy replacing ornamental shrubs with raised bed vegetable gardens and pouring me a patio. All I want for outdoor landscaping/furniture is a good heavy picnic table and need somewhere to put it on.

I have pretty basic tastes and to my mind you can't beat a good picnic table. 

You can eat outside on it, sew on it, and if like me you are going to be taking care of grandchildren 2-3 days a week, it works well for lunches and you can hang the baby seat off it so the baby can eat outside with you too.

My husband like projects, particularly ones that allow him to destroy/rip out something first, in this case the bushes at the front of the house. Even better if he can rope an acquaintance to come over with some heavy machinery to do it. Nothing that man likes better than heavy machine marks all over the front lawn.

But of course all of has cut into his photography time.

We fixed that this morning with me standing on a bed in the guest room because on a grey wet day that room seemed to be collecting most of the natural light.

I usually don't wear this colour but I had some of this ponte downstairs and figured why not? I intended it to be a wearable muslin but now think I will wear it to the rehearsal dinner for my son's wedding. This kind of nice surprise with a new pattern rarely happens does it?

The top pattern was this one, good for folks with cylinder shaped bodies as it implies more shape than there might actually be:

Stylearc's Madeliene

The skirt is my TNT knit pencil from Pamela's Patterns. I sewed tricot to the side seams of each piece for body (left the hems free and unfinished):

And finally here is me in the result, if I look a little wonky you have to remember I was standing on a bouncy bed when these shots were taken:

And finally here is a shot of the happiest, wildest little dog in Canada. Our little Daisy at one brief moment when she wasn't tearing around the yard:

Now off to do some shirt-making today, don't think the rain is letting up.

Flypaper thoughts Sunday afternoon version

• Regrouping
• Ex son's girlfriend is settled and it's all for the best
• Good news is that the fabric that I had for her dresses works for my step-daughter
• I am practical like that
• So is she
• Beginning to think that sewing is my core activity
• Might as well come out about that
• Have organized a convoy to head to DC for the wedding in September
• Four people under 5 in two cars and five adults
• We will rotate those who cry
• Wonder who will be first
• The men think we can drive right through in two days
• That's a lot of I spy
• Change your needle when you are making shirts just before the buttonholes
• Will save you from skipped stitches in the zig-zags
• Bumper load of blossoms on the crab apple tree this year
• Hope that means a bumper crop of apples for crab apple jelly
• I have names on my waiting list for it
• I am stopping at Cracker Barrel for chicken and dumplings en route or I will cry
• When you interface a collar and band interface them both with something lighter
• That way all pieces that are going to attach to each other will be the same size
• And behave the same way
• No force fits
• My sister and niece are coming here for two weeks and we are going to sew their wedding dresses
• My husband will be away so we will take over the whole house
• I will get my sister to cook
• Nice Greek food conducive to creativity
• Miss Daisy is full of beans
• "That's a feisty little one" says the man on a walk
• Can that dog run
• And smile
• I want to take a picture but all I get is small black streak blurred on a bunch of grass
• Her message is don't be giving up
• There might actually be an act two
• Or somewhere to go home to after all
• Rhubarb jam is almost as good as crab apple jelly
• Got it growing in the front yard
• Took out the bushes underneath the front window and put in two raised vegetables gardens
• That is where the sun is
• Like why not?
• So far the mailman is impressed
• Going to come by after work and take measurements so he can do it at home
• Who says we don't need door-to-door delivery
• Next month we are moving to community boxes
• Can't have a conversation with that
• The shirt for my son will be done this week and then doing one for my husband
• Considering pattern idea #913 for myself for the wedding
• Then I have to think of shoes
• What do you think of those ladies who were barred from Cannes because they were wearing flats?
• Heels that kill your feet are part of the dress code
• I mean honestly
• Put those officials in 4" stilettos for the board meeting
• Best cure for insomnia is a dull book
• If you need some titles I have a few without punctuation
• Is a sleeve board really useful?
• One thing I don't have
• Back to marking

Well, well Simplicity

Yes I know I have often been less than impressed by some of the Big Four releases, but this morning I decided to take a look at Simplicity.

I was surprised by the usefulness and interest of some of the new patterns I saw.

Too bad that Simplicity seems to have written off Canada as a place where they sell their patterns. You can get them but have to order them in and at a premium. 

How can a country where I sew get written off?

Makes no sense.

Too bad because there are some intriguing patterns this season.

One introductory comment.

You know all those vintage/retro patterns that you never see anyone actually making or wearing in the other big pattern lines? All those 50s wiggle dresses and those big skirt numbers that really require a girdle or modern equivalent to get the waist they require?

Well Simplicity seems to have gone retro but skipped to the the 60s or 70s, with an emphasis on comfortable.

Maybe that's why some of these are more interesting to me, and maybe because they reflect a time of housewife wear, backyard wear, doing the real work wear. Some of them are cleverly made patterns that might be interesting to sew.

Know what I mean?

OK, back to the patterns that I noticed this morning and why:

Really nice skirts here, and another way to look at dressing up. A fancy skirt and a nice top (maybe not this one if you are not into boxy) if you are dressing up this summer.

Old school and ingenious. A maxi dress with a flattering neckline made just by a wrap.

How smart is this, a nice gathered front that is modest and easy to wear, and cross over back high enough to hide the strapless bra? Love it.

Contemporary patterns, very much like ready to wear, pleated back one is interesting.

Good basic wearable shell, get a lot of mileage out of this one if you happen to have one of those real lives.

Nothing exciting maybe but tell me if you had one of these in your closet would you put it on when it got cool after supper?  Rest my case.

Modern short skirt. This is in the stores and would be easy to move in.

Not sure I am running off to make a pantsuit, but the separates are useful when you just want to whip up something cool.

I am delighted to see this pattern, a swimsuit on a real body. Good for Mimi G and good for Simplicity.

More than a little nutty but just might be fun to wear. Clever is OK with me.

Does Joann's ship to Canada at sale prices?