It's Fall...time to sew up some wool

My sewing schedule is so tight these days, and I prefer sewing in super long chunks of time as opposed to a half hour here or there.

But what to sew is always difficult. I really have more than enough fabric at this time. I have more than enough patterns too. I'm not saying I won't buy more here or there, but the stash is big enough.

I have decided to use today and the next two days sewing a jacket pattern that fit me quite well when I made it last year. I had a few issues, namely that the wool had a bit of spandex in it, and then when I fused it (the front portions) is wanted to unstretch from the interfacing.

The jacket is Burda 7934


My finished jacket


And the fushia lambswool on the bottom of the pile is the one I'm using.


Here's the review I wrote up at Pattern Review.

Hopefully I'll be done in these few days' time. I need to get interfacing and a zipper for the front. I should have enough wool to whip up a simple pencil skirt for my daughter in NYC also. Won't she be surprised? Well, not if she reads this.

Emergency Bra: Unsnap, separate cups, inhale...

I'm going to copy/paste this cute news article into my blog since links sometimes disappear over time.

Here's the link: Emergency Bra

Emergency Bra: Unsnap, separate cups, inhale...
by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

Remember that bra we wrote about last year that lifted more than just our spirits when it won the 2009 Ig Nobel Public Health Prize?

Well, creator Dr. Elena Bodnar--whose inspiration comes in part from having witnessed as a young physician the devastating affects of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster in 1986--is introducing the now commercially available Emergency Bra at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Mass., on September 28. She hopes we can all "get a feel of [sic] the product," as she has grown fond of saying.

The bra is, of course, meant to be taken off, something most adults presumably have experience with. Once removed, it separates into two masks which, when placed over the nose and mouth, filter out particles that were found to be as harmful as radiation in Chernobyl.

There is also some noise of a "counterpart device for men" in the works, though the precise shape it will take has yet to be revealed. The emergency bra may work well for women, but attaining the second of the two resulting masks does require men who are not cross-dressing to beg and plead in the event of a disaster.
As Bodnar explained in her alluring Ukrainian accent when accepting the award:
Ladies and gentlemen, isn't that wonderful that women have two breasts, not just one? We can save not only our own life, but also the life of a man of our choice next to us.

Now, a year later, what was once a bizarre and intriguing idea has turned into an actual bra that can be purchased online for $29.99. Ladies, it's a sexy red and comes in a wide range of sizes, from 32B to 40C. Gentlemen, Bodnar assures us that in the event of an emergency, the size of the cup does not matter.

YouTube Link Watch the video through the link as I still need to work on resizing my blog pages to fit videos.

Too many magazines

Some time back I had this strange desire to emulate other fantastic sewers and their desire to follow fashion by reading fashion magazines. I was going to make a fashion bulletin board (the bulletin board is still in it's plastic wrap.) So I sat down at the bookstore one day with a pile of magazines, picked out my favorites, and took the subscription cards out of them. Oh, I also wanted inexpensive magazines.

Mailed those darn cards in and a few months later I was being inundated with fashion magazines.



Just remembered I forgot "More" and the subscription to "Oxygen" (but that one isn't mine.

This was an absolute mistake on my part. While one or two magazines a month "might" be okay for me, I truly dislike magazines. Maybe I should say I dislike fashion magazines.

.........WAIT......Burda comes every month too (I think I might drop that subscription) and Ottobre, and Modellina. My daughter's been picking up La Mia Boutique for me.

Um....I'm sure not getting much sewing done lately.

I truly am not into fashion. I do not watch Project Runway or Mad Men. I've been to NYC twice now this year and have yet to step into a clothing store other than Filene's Basement, and only my daughter got something. I didn't even go fabric shopping last time I was there (just too darn busy being a tourist.)

So I place all those magazines in the magazine rack in the bathroom, thumb through them a bit. Maybe I see a pair of boots I like, but you'll never find me buying them. I guess I just don't get it, the whole fashion thing that is.

When the magazine subscriptions run out I will probably stick to my favorite, one I've gotten for a super long time now, Allure. I also think Lucky is fun to look at.

And I will also say, it's not that I think any of the magazines are bad, it's just that it was overload on my part.

I'm not a fashionista.

KwikSew 3784...again

I have been so darn busy lately that sewing is totally on the back burner. Today though, I actually had time and whipped up a quick sleeveless top to wear dancing. The good thing about "dance" tops is that they don't have to be perfect, as I wear them in a dark environment.

I've sewn this pattern now three times I think. Twice I've posted photos with the ruffle (one in blue/white and one in the orange/pink/white knits.) I also made up a top in solid red. Oh, I did one in a black/white snake print with red piped elastic at the neck and sleeves.

Today I did it in a polyester print I have.

Photo of the pattern, which to me is obviously a TNT.


I have raised the neckline a good 1"+ and without the ruffle skip the center front seam. The armhole fits nicely.

So now I have this TNT and I really want to start working with it. I have other KwikSew patterns that I can compare it with as far as different styles go.

Other things happening lately is that I visited my daughter Michelle in NYC, but didn't do any real fabric shopping. I did get some powernet for bras, but we were so busy being tourists that fabric wasn't that important.

Plus I recently got a part time job that is working me close to full time. So I'm very busy and very tired.

As far as sewing goes, I'd like to make more simple tank tops for dancing...or maybe add short sleeves to the pattern too.

Bra making links

Needle Nook Fabrics in Wichita, Kansas is where I took my first bra making class. Anne St. Claire is a wonderful teacher and has been teaching for many years. She does not have an online site to sell her wonderful bra making supplies, but you can either phone or email her. Kits are a wonderful deal and all the supplies are in each kit except for the underwires. If you EVER have the opportunity to take a class with Anne, don't skip out. You will come out with a bra that fits and is wonderfully comfortable. It might not be perfect, being bra #1, but you will be amazed at what you created.

Fays Fashions & Fabrics is where I ordered a bunch of grab bags of laces, fabrics and elastics from, and everything I received was wonderful and fun. So I am very comfortable recommending this online dealer.

Sew Sassy Fabrics is a site which sells many bra making supplies. I have not ordered from them so I can not comment directly.

Bra-makers Supply is an online store from Canada with absolutely beautiful and high quality fabrics, laces, elastics, and supplies. I ordered the "Bra Makers Manual" which has wonderful instructions and information about bras and bra making. I definitely do recommend it. I also purchased one of their patterns and a kit. Once you're on the site, click around and read through the blog for more helpful information.

Bra-making classes has some great step-by-step tutorials

Venusian Glow is absolutely the best site for learning about bras and how to fit them well. Follow the directions on the Bra Matrix pages and you are totally set to go. My favorite page teaches how ill-fitting bras cause Armpit Rolls (something I deal with, ugh.) Seriously just go from link to link on this site, read it all, look at all the pictures, and you will learn so much about bras.

Braqueen Exposed has a lot of good bra information, just start clicking through the links. She has a review page with photos of people wearing the bras they've reviewed.

Don't waste your time looking at the Victoria Secret catalog for bras. Seriously, those women don't wear a single bra that fits. The bras are many sizes too small, just to enhance the cleavage. The problem with that is that the consumer looks at those photos and then thinks that is how a bra is supposed to fit. Instead, check out the Bravissimo Online Catalog to see photos of properly fitted bras on adorable models. You can also request a catalog to be sent to your home and use it for fashion ideas in your own bra making.


Li'l Miss Muffett- Heather has some photos of bras and lingerie she's been sewing on her own blog. Lots of really cute things.

Sigrid's Sewing Projects- Sigrid sews some of the most beautiful lingerie I've seen. Her fabrics and laces are amazing. Also on her blog, click on the tutorial link at the top, and then click again (she's still working on her site.) You will come to a page of Sewing Tutorials and there is a wonderful one on lingerie.

By following links online (blog to blog) I've found a few blogs from Dutch women on sewing lingerie. They make some super cute stuff, and it's fun to let Google translate the pages for me.

Lingerie Poetsie

Gestrikt by Tialda

creaBH

As far as pattern goes, Kwik Sew has quite a few patterns that have good reviews on Pattern Review. Anne St. Claire has her own Elite and Queen Elite patterns (check her site at Needle Nook Fabrics above. Bra makers supply has patterns they have designed as well as other patterns. There are numerous other bra patterns, just have tried any others, though over time I will be trying them all.

Just give it a try, you'll probably become addicted to the process as I have.

The bad news first

Since I haven't gotten much sewing done, I thought I'd let you know what's up.

So first the bad news....I got ringworm, ugh. No clue where from of course, though it showed up shortly after getting the new puppy, who shows no sign of it. With her little short hairs it's really easy to see her skin. I also have 3 cats, one of whom has a tiny bald spot on her head. I assume it was from a little fight. I'm taking the cats in to get checked.

I'm on oral meds as I have some in my scalp. I'm now petrified of going bald in a couple areas. And from what I read, yes, it will happen. I already use rogaine, so maybe that will help.

I guess I can't really worry about it, it is what it is.

Good news is that I got a part-time job and I'm really enjoying it. I'm a cashier at a local grocery store. That's right, the big bucks are rolling in now.

But after getting use to things (and trust me, it's far from easy) it's going much better. I'm starting to be able to hold a little conversation at the same time, fix my mistakes, stuff like that.

BTW, be patient with your cashiers, they might be brand new like me. I know the numbers for bananas (4011,) peaches (4044,) and seedless watermelons (4032.) Wait...white grapes are 4022, and red I think are 4032, I might have to double check that one. I'm trying to learn them. Soybeans in the bin are 512.

I need to wear slacks and a tucked in buttoned shirt. I was going to sew some tops and ordered some fabrics from Fabric.com, but I ended up at the thrift shop and bought 4 white tops for $11. Sure can't beat that. I just need to give them all short sleeves.

One is a nice linen shirt. I starched it and wore it yesterday and actually had a complement on it. Now that's pretty cool.

Today I'm joining a friends' sewing group to talk about sewing bras. I'm going to bring the ones I've made along with a few books, patterns, fabrics and trimmings, and just let the conversation flow. We will also talk some about fitting a bra.

I'm not a pro at that but I have learned a lot from reading.

What I'm going to do is make a new post with some links to my favorite bra sites, and then invite the women to my blog to follow the links.

It should be a fun day.

Worked on UFO's

Found a pair of Jalie jeans I had never hemmed. They are now hemmed and I'm wearing them tonight. I also finished up a cotton tank top, from the KwikSew pattern I did recently. Heck, I even have the blue bra on from the previous post.



The top stitching was done with a varigated rayon thread, triple stitch.

And here is a cool spiderweb formation.