I See a Pattern Here...

Several years back I bought this IKEA Aneboda 3-drawer storage chest to organize my patterns.  

It wasn’t until just recently that I decided that the plain frosted plastic drawer fronts weren’t doing it for me anymore.  Having assembled the piece myself, I knew that the fronts were not removable, so replacing them was not a viable option.  An internet search for inspiration came up with gluing wallpaper or fabric over the plastic fronts.  After examining the drawers a little closer I discovered that there was a little play in the slot area were the plastic is inserted.  Hmm… if I could find some heavy decorative card stock, it might just be the ticket to dressing up an otherwise utilitarian piece of furniture. 

Then I remembered I saved this:

An Haute Couture wall calendar by Lang.  Too pretty to throw away after 2013 had ended, I stashed it amongst the stash in the studio.  I measured the drawer front opening and added 1/8” on each side.  The paper stock of the calendar was heavy enough to not wrinkle but thin enough to be flexible so I could insert it without difficulty.

Here’s the end result:

I am so pleased with it that it motivated me to start organizing the patterns in it. Every time I see it, I’m inspired to flip through the patterns and start planning the next project.

IKEA also has a wardrobe from the same collection that I want to purchase.  

 There’s plenty of leftover calendar – guess what I’ll be doing to dress it up?
 

New Year, New Look 6731

I knew when I started this blog that there would be long stretches between posts.  Yeah, a year seems about right for me.  I guess I'm one of those people who gets so absorbed in the now moment, that remembering to record them for posterity never occurs to me at the time.  But I'm trying to change that.

I finally bought a new camera that has a remote shutter release, so I can take photos of my projects without having to bother the Instigator. I just need to be more consistent in my photo taking.  It's a work in progress as am I. So without further (yearlong) adieu, I bring you my latest make - New Look 6731.

I used the View A tunic pattern and I lengthened it several inches to dress length. The fabric is a stretch rayon blend jersey knit from Fabric.com (2011) from one of their many clearance sales when I was building a stash.

 

My favorite pose of this series.  Not bad for a 50 something!

 

I really like the 60's vibe of this dress. I lined the dress in self fabric from the neckline to the waist and used a knit tricot in a beige shade for the bottom half of the dress. This gave it a little more weight and slip so that I could wear it with tights without it clinging.

Next up on the project list is Vogue 7427 circa 1969. Found in a thrift shop for 50 cents, it has all the pieces in tact.  Its previous owner cut the short version, but was thoughtful enough to save the length from the maxi version. I'm working on a fit muslin for the short version and plan on making it in a dark green and white 1/2" window pane fabric. (Of course I don't have a photo of the fabric...baby steps, baby steps...).  But here is a pic of the pattern. The dress is a step-in with snap closures and underlined. I really like the fact that the belt pattern is contoured as opposed to straight lines. I'm really looking forward to making this pattern and hope that another year doesn't pass before I post again!

A Blizzard of Baking

I live just a few miles north of Boston and am hunkering down during the blizzard that is hitting New England as I type this. Yesterday, before Blizzard Nemo (as they're calling it) made it's way into the area, I was chatting with some co-workers about what everyone does to prepare to cope with up to 30" of snowfall.  The most common theme I heard was that everyone wanted to do some sort of baking or make some kind of cold weather comfort food.

I don't know what it is about horrendous weather that traps you inside that makes one want to bake cookies or make soup.  Perhaps it's because the weather prevents you from going anywhere and you have a lot of time on your hands.  Or maybe it's because you have the time, you allow yourself to reconnect to simpler activities that are free from outside distraction.  I can only speak for myself, but I love a snow day. I'm a homebody at heart and when I have a chance to bake something, I'm all over it.

So today's baking is brought to you by Blizzard Nemo...

This wins top marks with the Instigator. 
Guess what he'll be having with coffee tomorrow morning.

I tore into this lovely after it barely had time to cool. 
I'll be having it all to myself as the Instigator is not too keen on banana bread.



Playing nice together...

 To all my fellow New Englanders riding out the blizzard, take shelter and stay safe - maybe even bake something.

~Patty

This Really Needs to Be A “Dress”ed…

In my young adult life I never really wore a lot of dresses.  That required the use of pantyhose which was just too much trouble to squirm into.  I’m still not crazy about pantyhose to this day, but I really love the choices of tights on the market.  They make wearing a dress a little less bothersome in the cooler months.  In the warm months it's bare legs (hopefully shaven) and a pair of amazing sandals, wedges, or whatnot.

It was with this in mind that I started sewing dresses – mostly of the knit variety (can’t beat them for wash and wear and no ironing!)  Here’s a few that I’ve sewn in the past couple of years.  I wear most of these on a regular basis and I’m working on more to add to the rotation.  Hope you like them!

 

New Look 6823
I get lots of compliments whenever I wear this.



Simplicity 3622
I sometimes wear this with turquoise tights and black knee boots.

New Look 6830
I used the sleeve pattern from New Look 6731

Butterick B5130
A fun dress in a fun color. 
I actually went to the extent to buy brown suede boots like on the pattern envelope!

Simplicity 3773
I made this dress to take on a trip to France in Summer 2009.



Simplicity 3673
This is my latest completion. It has a bright tropical flower lining.
I was inspired by a dress Lauren Bacall wore in "How To Marry a Millionaire".
I'm working a eggplant colored mock turtleneck to wear with it. 
I love the color combination with the mustard color of the dress.

Thanks for stopping in an taking a look around! I'll have more pics of some of my other creations in the coming posts.  Any when I figure out an easy way to do self photos, I'll add them if they're not too scary!

 ~Patty









 









The Virgin Post

The Virgin Post?  That's sounds like a newspaper for the chaste - On sale now at newstands?!

My original idea was for this to be another sewing blog in the sea of sewing blogs (with the encouragement of The Instigator - more on that later). But since I consider myself a "slow sewist", there would probably be a long stretch between posts and I'd more than likely give up the whole endeavor.

Soo.... (or should I say sewwww...) this will be my attempt at an ever evolving lifestyle blog that will include sewing, knitting, some baking, a few deep philosophical thoughts and lots of laughs.

Hope you'll put out your thumb and hitch a ride. I'm taking the scenic route on the information highway if anyone's interested.

~ Patty