Multi-tasking: Domestic Goddess for the Weekend

Cutting out my purple bamboo top

I did eventually arrive home on Friday evening. And I had a rare weekend without any plans, so I took full advantage and got down to sewing and cooking projects.

I traced the first several patterns for my wardrobe project, cut the Hot Patterns 3 Graces top (cowl neck version) out of my purple bamboo, and cut out the next of my many diaper bags. This will be a messenger style bag, like the very first one I did this year. This is the fabric:


Thankfully, there is only one more diaper bag to go after this one. I also fused some great hair canvas interfacing to the appropriate pieces.Essentially, I am ready to sew both the purple top and the diaper bag.

On the cooking front, I made and froze all of my Thanksgiving pie crusts. And I whipped up a batch of breakfast cookies.

I also ran 3.3 miles on Sunday afternoon - without stopping! - all in one go! So, it looks like I am ready for race day.

Sigh. It's good to be home.

Stuck in the airport

Well, here I am in the Montreal airport while my flight is delayed. After changing the departure for the second time, they actually did board us. Then they pushed back our departure again by so much that they decided to de-board again - a hint that maybe we will not be leaving any time soon?

So here I am in the airport bar with 22 oz of the local brew. (hint taken. thanks.) That is the small size, by the way. The other option was 34 oz.

All of this is an immense tease. Sewing projects are waiting for me at home. Yet here I am in the airport. And if the size of the beer is any indication, there is little hope that I will be in any shape to sew once I do make it home. What's a girl to do? Sigh.

Fall Wardrobe Project: Planning

After last weekend's PR outing, I'm all jazzed up about my wardrobe project, and am pouting a bit that I can't get started. I won't be home from my business trip to Toronto and Montreal until Friday.

Over the last few weeks, I've been buying up fabrics and amassing zippers, buttons, interfacings and linings. In fact, on Sunday night I did a major re-org of the Craft Lounge so that it won't be a disaster area when I'm ready to get down to sewing. I just need one or two more pieces of fabric and notions, but other than that, I am just about ready.

I will be making 3-4 knit tops, a pencil skirt, a sheath dress, 3 pairs of trousers and a hobo bag, roughly in that order. I might run into trouble along the way, since all of the patterns I am using are new to me. If I do, I'll revise my plans. But here is how things ought to go.

I'll be making this purple bamboo from Mood and this black jersey from Metro into the Three Graces shirts from Hot Patterns. I've never worked with bamboo fabric before.


I've been planning on making this very fun plaid with silver splashes into a pencil skirt since the spring. It's time to get going on this one. Photos don't do justice, but the fabric has a lot of dark brown (espresso?) in it. It really pops with the purple bamboo.



I confess that I have always had sheath dress envy. I've never really been able to buy a fitted dress off the rack because my top and bottom are just different sizes. So, I am making myself a sheath out of this beautiful Vera Wang Lavender Label boucle suiting. It really is lovely in person. I plan to do view B of this pattern:

And finally, pants. As you know, pants are my arch-nemesis.


But I have three beautiful fabrics. On the far left is a light grey wool suiting from Metro Textiles, that Kashi says is from the Loro Piana mill in Connecticut. It feels gorgeous. In the middle is black tropical weight wool suiting, also from Metro. And on the right is the mystery, possibly Armani fabric from my mom.

What is left to buy is a piece of ultrasuede or faux leather to make into a hobo bag. Also, I need to decide on another fabric or two (I'm waffling on colors), and pattern or two for tops. Black and purple is fine, but I definitely feel the need to inject more color into this mini wardrobe since it is very grey/silver, black and white.

So, there you have it. And here I am still in Montreal for another day. Pining for my sewing machine. Sigh.

The Tortoise and the Snail... on a treadmill...

In the fabled race between the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise - through his superior patience and persistence - wins. However, I am not a tortoise. I am a snail: an even slower runner than the tortoise. But I run. And I'm making progress.

Now that I am attuned to my inner snail, I have ramped down my pace on the treadmill and am finally doing a bit better. It has also helped immensely that Phineas has revamped my workout in the last few weeks leading up to the 5k Turkey Trot, prioritizing the distance covered over the pace. For whatever reason, I found watching the seconds tick by grueling, whereas watching the miles click away is ok. And on my most recent outdoor run, I ran 2.4 miles, walked for one minute, and then completed the 5k (3.1m). So we are nearly there.

Even though I will not be breaking any land-speed records, I am looking forward to my Turkey Day Trot, which I will most likely finish only slightly faster than I could walk it. And naturally, I am looking forward to the pie that will follow. For the record, this snail prefers pecan.

Pattern Review Day NYC!

I was a bit nervous going to Pattern Review Day in NYC on Saturday. Pattern Review is an online forum for sewists to chat about sewing and review patterns, books and equipment. Think Rotten Tomatoes, but for the needle-and- thread set. This was an opportunity to meet with some of the people whose blogs I follow and shop with like-minded individuals in the Garment District.

I was feeling self conscious about not wearing anything I've made. Most of the clothing I made for myself is very summery, and so out of the question. But I was welcomed into the fold, met lots of great people (many of whom were wearing beautiful things they'd made), picked up some great bits of advice and scored some excellent fabric with a special Pattern Review Day 20% discount. Nancy K summed up the day really well on her blog, so I won't give the blow-by-blow. But here is what I scored.

Phineas has a pair of favorite pajamas, which are falling apart. See...


Right. You don't want to see the hems either. Anyway, we've had a few talks about how these pj's need replacing. But, after all these years, they are so buttery soft and broken in that he is reluctant to let go of them. Also, I had not been able to find any really good match for the fabric. Until, that is, I went to Rosen & Chaddick, which carries only the best of everything. Next time I want $127/yd wool suiting, this is where you will find me shopping. But on Saturday, they also had a beautiful 100% cotton, in the same blue and white stripe pattern as the pj's in question. In fact, it could be the same cloth.

New fabric (background) and old (foreground).

So, Phin will be getting new pj's. I know, I know. There is always one more gift to make for someone else before sewing for myself. But without Phineas, I wouldn't have my wonderful new sewing machine. So, I am making an exception here.

Done Done Done!

So, the diaper bag for my sister-in-law is done. So is the matching changing pad. Here it is:

Outside

Inside

Changing pad

Altogether

The bag came together quickly and easily. And it looks just as good, and I hope will be just as functional, as the last one. I have just two bags left to make. Whew! And then the factory is closed!

I'm off to Canada for work for the week tomorrow morning. But I have lots to blog about including Pattern Review Day in NY, all the gorgeous fabrics I bought in the last week or so, and my upcoming wardrobe project. SO, be sure to stay tuned.

Muse Day in the Big City

On Wednesday, Erato and I played hookie and spent our day museum-ing, lunching and shopping in the garment district. It was a perfect day - great plans, excellent company and gorgeous fall weather!

We started the day with breakfast at Mon Petit Cafe. As we were leaving to head to the Met, we spotted a button store - Tender Buttons - across the street. What a gorgeous little jewel of a store, and what an auspicious start to our fabric shopping day!

We hit the Met to see the Vermeer's Milkmaid exhibit. I love Vermeer and find something exceptional about every one of his paintings. But then we were off again to stroll thru Central Park - all gold and orange this Autumn - and make our way down to the Garment District for the real fun!

My goal was to buy fabrics for my wardrobe project, which I'll talk about next week. I also wanted Erato to go to a few of the stores that don't have storefronts, so that she would be comfortable seeking out and shopping at these kinds of places in the future. We hit Mood, MetroTextiles, Greenberg & Hammer, NY Elegant Fabrics, and Paron Fabrics, although, by that time we were pretty spent. Here we are at NY Elegant Fabrics.

"Think of how many muppets had to die for this fur!" - Erato

Only scandalous thoughts come to mind when I see see-thru orange vinyl.

Exhaused from our shopping, we decided it was time for a martini and then dinner. We had both been wanting to try Prune for quite a while and, at least for me, it lived up to my expectations. Both Erato and I can be adventurous eaters, and Prune does not play it safe. I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, we had so much fun that we have decided that we have to make our day off together a seasonal - or at least spring and fall - event. Hooray!