Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Simplicity A1273

I bought this on another grocery shopping trip.  Lots of little girls must have gotten dolls for Christmas, and the AG patterns on the racks were bare.
 This pattern has a cardigan, done in knits or wovens, a skirt, a top and the tunic, and the leggings.  The leggings and tunic need a knit.
 I tried the little cardigan jacket in a brown Ralph Lauren scrap (literally) wool.  I lined it with a cream stretch lining fabric.  My Bemburg was packed in a box under the Christmas boxes in the garage.  This is the front.
And the back.  Some tugging, but I really think it's me working with the lining and the wool and the tiny 1/4 inch seams.  Anyway lots of fun.

I hope everyone has a very fun but safe celebration of New Year's eve tonight...And a very Happy New Year tomorrow.

Simplicity A1230

These pants are from a pattern I purchased recently for AG dolls.  
 I made the pants in a lightweight summer tan cotton.  I don't have an AG doll, so I'm not sure how they would fit one.
 This is the dress pattern I made earlier in a wildlife print.  This one was made in featherweight cotton corduroy and I tried pleats instead of the gathers.  This was my own adaptation.

You can also see how I did the Pixie Faire dressform.  I used a cork from a wine bottle and then glued the dress form onto a creamer bottle.  I wanted to try longer dresses.  This dress form does not measure the full 18 inches.  I think it came to 16 1/2.  The beauty of having the pattern is I can make more and mount them prettier than this.
 If you look on the tomato pincushion side, you will see I pleated the fabric the wrong way.  I was having a lot of difficulty working with the facing and the 1/4 seam allowances.  I kept having to resew some areas, that I got tired and didn't pay attention to the direction of the pleating.  Practice makes perfect.
The lining fabric.  I was planning on throwing the bulk of my remnants away, but decided to play around with the doll clothing patterns and I can see how my choices in fabrics do seem to go together.

Kwik Sew 3293

I'm finally finishing this jacket.  I began this jacket at the end of the summer and got all the way up until the button holes, and had to wait to get up my courage to do those.  I was in a sewing slump also.


I wanted a quick easy pattern at that time.

 I used a Ralph Lauren wool tweed I bought 3 or 4 years ago.  The lining is a rayon Bemburg lining and the buttons came from a coat my mother bought about 35 years ago, then gave me the coat, and I kept only the buttons when the coat began looking really worn.  She bought it from a thrift or resale shop at the time.
The pink pencil is showing the tuck this pattern includes in the lining pattern.  I've gained even more weight since I've made this, and I can only button the top 2 buttons.  It fits a little boxy but I'm okay with that because I wanted it to go over sleeveless wool dresses and long sleeve sweaters or tops and skirts.  I can then use it as a blazer, jacket, coat type of look.  I think it's a really beautiful jacket.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Simplicity A1230

I picked this up at Walmart shortly after I purchased the dress form pattern.  I used remnants and did not attempt to match any design or different pattern coloration.  I made the dress.

I used an all cotton.  The back closure is a loop and tape.

I still have not finished the dress form, but did try the dress on it.  The boys said it was adorable.  I made them Barbie and Ken doll clothes, baby doll clothes.  The church toy box doll clothes way back. And Don McCunn's wine bottle drafting class clothes which I really enjoyed.  I was actually going to do his wine bottle drafting to do the same thing I'm doing with the Pixie Faire dress form.  Just some mindless fun.  I guess this was my fun gift.
The boys are not sharing this year.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

December Notes

First off, Happy Holidays.  What have I been doing?  Mostly not much.
 We graduated another one.
 We put our tree up.
 Molasses cookies from home made sorghum molasses.
 Oatmeal walnut.  We made cookies.  I had planned to make a few more, but there is alot of moisture in our air here, and I can't get the cookies to dry out better.  They are staying moist.
 Brownies iced with cream cheese mint frosting.  We've been trading light versions of the flu and I think this may be the end of Christmas sweeties for us.  One of those years.
 Simplicity 2517     http://www.simplicity.com/p-3069-mens-costumes.aspx

Now out of print I see.  I made 2 of these for Halloween.  None of the college kids dressed this year, and it went unworn.
 This is the inside lining.
 It was made from the leftovers of a wool coat I'm still working on.  I love this hat, and the boys I made it for plan to keep it and wear it next winter as an actual hat.  I'm told Castle has one!!
I will show you the coat later when I've finished it.
 Another early Christmas present to us.  A plain Jane Kindle during a sale.  I've been on the fence about one of these and decided to try the cheapest one.  I've only downloaded the free books.  It is good for a basic novel read.  It has held a lot of the free books and I can see using this Kindle.
 For me.  I had to have the Pixie Faire Dress Form pattern.  I do not have an American doll, nor do I have a clone version.  I do plan on making one or two or more and having some fun making outfits when I have no idea of what I want to sew, but want to sew, or I want to try combining fabrics or potential looks.  I'm not sure of how full to stuff it, so I'm making an American Doll pattern up to check for fit on the dress form.
My aunt passed a few years ago and my mother got her machine.  Sadly it has sat for some time at my mothers, and it's acting up.  I'm seeing online used prices of these go for 150.00 to 250.00.  It may take up to that much to break it down and oil it up.  I'm working the needle, but thinking about my next step with her,

I've not sewn much.  We lost our microwave, and stove, and one car.  We've felt a little off and tired.  Our mail lady keeps losing or misdelivering packages,  I really wonder if she should go and get reading glasses or her supervisor should suggest it politely!!  They won't do much, and we've had to make some claims, and file small police reports.  Anyway, enough pity party.  I hope everyone has a happy holiday because it's coming up very quickly, and a wonderful New Year.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Non Sewing Candy making


These are not the prettiest.  I have been wanting to try chocolate covered cherries for several years, and decided yesterday was the day.  They don't look great but taste even better.  My chocolate seized up on me and I had to go to the internet and find some quick fixes.  The peppermint patties were also from the leftover white filling with some cream cheese and peppermint flavoring added.  I'm thinking I will be making these again soon.

I used a basic recipe from my 11th edition of Better Homes & Gardens.  The chocolate chips coating recipe was from the internet.  I take responsibility for the seizing.

I have a Sherlock Holmes hat I made for Halloween that I want to show you but haven't even taken a picture of it yet. I also took pictures of the bridge work last month, but boy are those pictures already out of date.  I think according to the plan, I will be taking that bridge when I drive back home.  I have to say, I will miss my country road with the horses, and the quiet little pond,  Gone is the farmers market, the ski rental and the little grocery store.  Out are the one handed fast drivers (85 at least in a 60), who think they are cool and this is their road.

 It's warmer here this year and I really wanted to go downtown and see the lighting of the town tree, but my youngest and I have been trading a stomach bug back and forth.  I took him into see the doctor  for medication.  I really think kids should work through these things to help them fight off the next thing that hits them, but I wanted this bug gone and he was on his 2nd time with it.  I wanted antibiotics.  No more fooling around with this thing.  We are feeling more normal again, though he is lagging behind me by a day or so.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Non sewn resin fire log






I wanted to post this fire log I got for an early Christmas present.  I saw it last year and stalked it because the price kept going up.  They sent it very quickly with wax tea candles.  The candle between the two battery operated ones is one of the wax ones they sent.  I did not unwrap all of them and I will be using battery operated ones.  I just happened to have some left over from Halloween.  I have not put this in my fireplace yet.  We have a few more fire logs to go, then we will clean it out and try this resin log.  I love the look of the real fire, but we do try and keep the fireplace clean and there are some years I'd like to leave the cleaning part out.

I've been sewing a little, but the family has been keeping me busy with their schedules.  Most of what I did in September were some basic Kwik Sew pull on stretch denim pants and skirts.  Very basic.