Beginning My Sorbetto

Today I began the process of sewing my Colette Patterns Sorbetto Top.  The image above is from the Colette Patterns blog, where you can download a free copy of this pattern to try yourself!  As I've said many times, "free" is one of my favorite words, second only to "love".  Not that I am opposed to supporting small businesses like Colette Patterns - how could I be, when I am such a business myself?  However, times are tight in my household (and many of yours), so I like to highlight freebies and frugalities whenever I can.

Once you've downloaded the pattern, it prints out, of course, as separate 8.5"x11" inch pieces of paper.  These need to be put in order and joined together, a lot like a jigsaw puzzle (but a beginner one - it wasn't hard at all!).

Then, once you've assembled your pieces, you can cut out the pattern in your chosen size, or trace it.  I chose to cut, yielding the two pattern pieces you see below.  This is a great pattern for beginners.  Two pieces, no closures.  What more could you ask for?

Tomorrow I'll be cutting the pattern.  I'm harvesting the fabric from an old peignoir set that has not fit me in years, but which I could not bear to part with.  Now the fabric will be put to good use!

The plan is to have a new blouse for no monetary outlay - free pattern, recycled fabric, notions on hand.  Please join me as I sew this simple but lovely little project!

Opinions Please

Recovery is proceeding nicely since my clumsy tumble down the stairs. The one good thing about it was that while elevating my foot, I was forced to watch Season 2 of Downton Abbey. I was held in thrall for many hours, and now I have to worry about the fate of cousin Brendan (it's a joke... Please see my maiden name) until Season 3 hits stateside :-(.

Now that I'm ready to resume sewing, I think my next project will be a blouse of some sort, possibly the lovely (and free) Colette Sorbetto. Then, in keeping with my pledge, it'll be back to the UFO pile to see what else awaits me there.

Aside from these plans, I've been wondering... Is there anything in particular that you'd like to see featured on these pages? A technique we could explore together, or a topic you haven't found covered elsewhere? Please comment and let me know!

Image credit: The Graphics Fairy

Ouch

Hi everyone.  Had a somewhat wasted weekend due to a sprained ankle.  I fell down the basement stairs trying to carry down an overly full laundry basket and rolled my left ankle.  RICE is nice! It could be a lot worse, so I'm resting, catching up on Downton, and working on future stuff for this blog.  I can't really sew for a few days... it hurts to leave my foot dependent for too long, and the sewing room is upstairs.

When I'm feeling a little down Handmade Ryan Gosling always makes me laugh, so here's one for you, too!

Completed Project - Boxy Jacket

New Look 6619 is done!  I'm not sure why I relegated this to the UFO pile, but I'm glad it's out and done!  I'm happy with the way it looks with the previously completed skirt, and it fits nicely.  Here are some pictures:

My biggest critique of myself here is that I did not carefully match the plaid.  I remember not really caring at the time I cut it, which is very uncharacteristic of me.  I remember having enough fabric to cut it, but not to match.  All in all, not bad for a UFO completion project.  Have a super day!

Buttoning Things Up

Having worked all morning on it, the lining is in, tacked, hemmed, and generally looking good.  Or, at least I hope its looking good.  The jacket still needs some final pressing and the buttons and buttonholes.

Which is what led me to my button stash.  Modest I suppose, compared to my fabric stash(es), it's still always confusing to pick buttons for a project.  With the sailor dress, I really did not already have in my stash, the button that was needed for that project, but with this jacket, I was pretty sure I had something that would work.  That being said, it was more work than I anticipated to choose!

First I sorted a little by size and general appearance.  "The One" needed to be about an inch in diameter in order to be seen, but not so big as to steal the show.

Some were too brown for a grey suit, some were too bright.  I finally settled on these, a 7/8ths inch faux tortoise shell set.  I hope to finish this one tomorrow, but we'll see what the day brings!

Chipping Away

Just a short post today... I wanted you to see that I'm chipping away at the jacket.  The sleeves are in now, as well as the lining, though that is not complete, as it isn't completely sewn in and tacked in place.  After that, I plan to hem the sleeves, and then, more buttonhole and button fun!

Also, as you can see, the skirt I made to go with the jacket two years ago has been dug out of its place in the stash and pressed.  It looks nice on Betsy, and she needed something to go with the jacket. 

Better pictures once the whole ensemble has been finished, I promise!  Thanks for looking!

But I Digress

Yes, I am working on my jacket.  However, I often have more than one project in the pipeline.  My first loves (garment sewing and altered couture) tend to get the lion's share of my attention, but every once in a while another project calls to me.  I started this wallhanging quilt this past summer.  It was another time intensive kind of thing because I designed the cat applique, the top was machine pieced and then the cat was hand appliqued into place.

Then, I hand quilted the top to the other layers and hand closed the binding.  I learned hand quilting on a hockey trip with my son to the outskirts of Amish Country in Pennsylvania.  I happened by a quilt shop when two Mennonite women were demonstrating the technique.  Up until that point, though I'd tried to follow instructions in books, it had just not really sunk in.  Seeing them do it made all the difference!

I think it's a really cheerful piece.  I love the bright colors in the batik squares, which were purchased as a set from Jo-Ann's.  It'll make a really nice hanging on someone's wall.  Ok, enough procrastinating... back to my jacket!