Category: Planning (Page 2 of 2)

Christmas in July

July 24, 2015 / Louise

July has gone by crazy fast. There was getting back from vacation, working on the garden, work projects and all sorts of things going on. And of course various projects and craft things and goals to be achieved! July is also a planning month for me. It’s when I start to think about what I want to get or make friends and family for Christmas. It may seem a little weird to start so early, but some craft projects take a long time. And it’s much nicer to be able to do them a little at a time rather than a rush at the end. It’s never good to end up frustrated and sick of presents when you want to feel happy about giving them to people you care about.

So! July is my holiday planning month. 🙂

I have several different gifts I’m planning to make this year. My father-in-law has requested more wool socks, like the pair I made him two years ago. Or as he put it, “who gets only one pair of socks?” So my goals is to make at least two, hopefully three more pairs of socks this year. I have about one and a half socks (out of a potential six) done already, so that’s off to a good start. And this is worthwhile, it’s nice to make things for people who enjoy them. He’s also told me that the pair I already made are the warmest and most comfortable socks he’s ever had, so more of them should make for a good gift.

The biggest holiday project for this year is another quilt. I’ve made four quilts so far, so at least I know what I’m getting into! The pattern I’m going with is a flexible one, and I’m able to take advantage of some pre-cuts for part of it, so hopefully it will go well. By which I mean I will be able to finish it in a sane amount of time! I’m really happy with the fabric I found. I picked bright colors with themes that remind me of the person the quilt is for. It looks like I’ll also have some extra to make something fun. Maybe I’ll make a pillow cover to go with? We’ll see. I have the first round of pieces cut out, so next is to sew them together into strips, and then cut those strips into other strips and sew them together again to make blocks, and then sew those together again. And then of course make and add the border, make the backing and then assemble it and hand sew the edging to the back. I’m going to tie the quilt the old fashioned way. Or at least the way I was taught to make quilts. I think tying the quilt rather than ‘quilting’ it makes for a fluffier quilt which in my opinion is the best sort of quilt. And I got some nice wool batting from Nancy’s Notions so fluffy is the way to go!

Quilts are funny things. They’re amazing once they’re finished, and working on them can be relaxing (there’s a sort of zen state when you’re tying a quilt or sewing together endless squares) but they’re probably the most challenging craft project I’ve worked on. They take a lot of materials that have to be matched for fabric content, quality, weight and color (as much as possible). The cutting and assembly portions take a high level of precision. And unlike knitting you have to be paying attention while wielding a sewing machine or very very sharp rotary cutter. And then there’s the fact that when you assemble it, there’s the need to move all the living room furniture to get a space just barely big enough, so assembly and tying the quilt had better be done fast. Still, despite the challenges, making a quilt is a lot of fun, and with any luck you end up with something warm and awesome that can last for years. So as presents go, quilts are up there on the list of things I like to be able to give.

I’m also planning to try making some things for Patrick, but I need to finalize those yet. So that should give my plenty of holiday projects, while still leaving enough time for other non-holiday projects, which seems like a good balance to me. 🙂

For the non-holiday projects it will be a mix of sewing, knitting, gardening and preserving (like usual).

For sewing, I’m still determined to make myself some sleeveless button down shirts this summer. Since we’re in the hottest part of summer I should get on that… I have the fabric and everything ready to go after all. And there are plans for shirts for Patrick. Again the fabric is out and waiting, so I just need to get started. I also have some pretty fall fabric to make a new pillow cover (awesome though my Halloween cats are, it’s a little weird to start using them in September…). And in other required sewing there are two work shirts and a skirt waiting for me. And in fun sewing I’m hoping to make a wool Anna dress for wearing this winter. I think the Anna dress is probably my go to pattern now. It’s pretty, comfortable, and is very easy to add pockets to (yay insulin pump storage!). I’ll probably need to line a wool dress which is a consideration…but the pattern itself is pretty straightforward so I should be able to manage this. And I have two pieces of nice wool fabric waiting to be used. Oh, and I need to make my second pair of winter PJs. For those I’ll need to track down some fabric though.

So upcoming sewing includes:

Summer tank tops (B5526, have seersucker fabric already)
Patrick work shirts (Kwik Sew pattern, have shirting fabric already)
Pillow cover (envelope style, have fall fabric already)
My work shirts (B5526, have shirting fabric already)
My work skirts (self drafted, have wool suiting and rayon lining already)
Wool dresses (Anna, have wool fabric, need to consider lining options…)
Winter PJs (KW3553 + Tofinio, need to find some flannel)

Knitting is less decided. I have the Christmas socks, which will be my commuter pattern for the foreseeable future. But I just finished my holiday cardigan, so I need to decide if a shawl or a sweater is up next. On the one hand, a shawl is easier to knit in summer since it’s not bulky (hot humid summers around here…) on the other hand, sweaters have lots of stockinette which is relaxing and I have several sweaters worth of yarn that needs to get used up. We’ll see. It’ll probably be either a grey tweed Rook sweater or a very dark navy lace shawl.

So knitting is:

Commuter project – Christmas socks and more Christmas socks
Home project – Rook sweater or navy shawl

And then there’s gardening/preserving. We’re headed into the end of July, which is always when my gardening challenges show up. I’ve decided though that as long as my garden gives my enough for fresh eating I’m not going to get worked up about it. I’ve had the usual squash casualties (some from vine borers, some from what seems like some sort of squash disease). But my back up zucchini’s are just getting going and look healthy and I’m probably going to get at least some winter squash. Maybe I’ll pull the rest and plant some more beans or something over there this weekend.

My tomatoes are making tomatoes, but the slicers just can’t overcome the tree shade (I didn’t realize that corner got as much shade as it does). So far I’m getting enough for fresh eating though, so we’ll see how it goes. And there’s always the farmer’s market if they fail, and the pick your own place for canning.

I do have some canning I want to do yet this year though, and some more dehydrating too.

Can peach jam and peaches
Can raspberry jam
Can pears
Can pickles
Can salsa
Can tomatoes
Can applesauce and apple butter
Dry herbs (oregano, mint, catnip, sage)
Dry cherry tomatoes

I’m also going to try making sauerkraut this weekend. I’m excited about this one since it’s tough to find good sauerkraut around here and if I get good at it, hopefully I’ll be able to do a big batch and can it later. (Though I’ll have to convince Patrick to let me ferment 25 lb of cabbage…)

Oh, and one more fun garden thing. We aren’t the only ones who have been enjoying the garden (see below). The cats are also super pleased about our visitors.

May Day

May 1, 2015 / Louise

Welcome to May! It’s a nice feeling, very much spring, and not quite summer yet. It’s also an excellent time of the year for projects. Just being outside feels nice, whether it’s working in the garden, knitting outside with a good book in the sun or sewing and enjoying a breeze through the window. It makes working on things very pleasant.

Which is good since I’ve got a long list of projects to work on! The biggest one of course is planting the garden. We are now officially past the last frost date (50/50 day is April 16, 90/10 day is April 29) so it’s time to get all the plants outside. This even includes the eggplant and basil seedlings since it’s supposed to stay above 50 degrees for the next 10 days. By the end of next week we’re even looking at highs in the 80’s and lows in the 60’s so I should enjoy the feeling of spring while it lasts.

As such, everything is going out this weekend: tomatoes and peppers (the important producers!), the ground cherry (experiment year 2!), basil (purple and green pesto this year!), zinnias (since direct seeding was hard…), eggplants (the new experiment!) and lots of seeds (bush and pole beans, zucchini, acorn squash, butternut squash, buttercup squash, cucumbers, corn and maybe some nasturtiums). So that’s going to be my morning tomorrow. In all likelihood Patrick will wake up and everything will be planted. Hopefully it all goes well, I’ve been trying very hard to do everything properly and not put in more than I can handle.

I will have to wait and see how it turns out in a couple weeks when things start to get going.

I also have some sewing and knitting projects to sort out. I just finished my first set of spring/fall PJs. I used a combination of KwikSew 3553 for the top and Sewaholic’s Tofinos for the bottom (short sleeves and long pants). I’m really happy with how they turned out. The advantage of PJs is you can use cute prints that you wouldn’t be able to get away with wearing outside the house. The next set will be with the same patterns but using a little blue with small white flowers.

After I finish my second set of PJs I need to decide how I’m going to use all the seersucker I ordered this spring. Kaufman had a really awesome set of seersucker plaids in bright colors, so I ordered as much as I could find since most seersucker seems to only come in pastels for some reason. I’m planning to use it for a dress and some shirts for me and Patrick this summer. It’s hard to beat seersucker for staying cool and it doesn’t matter if it gets wrinkled since it starts out that way! These should all be patterns I’ve used before so sewing them should be straightforward, even if shirts are more complex. And I like sewing shirts (despite all the buttonholes…) and dresses. I should also finish sewing up the second black wool skirt for work. I’ve got the lining done, I just need to cut out and sew the wool pieces. I should also make up the couple of shirts for work that I have fabric waiting for. But work clothes aren’t half as fun as summer clothes.

I’m not sure why it’s so fun to sew summer things, but it is. Maybe because the fabric is light and airy and feels wonderful?

Speaking of summer sewing, I also should probably get around to figuring out how to edit my shorts pattern. I’ve been using the Thurlow pattern from Sewaholic which is comfortable, but I don’t think the flair on the shorts works well on me. So I need to figure out if I want to edit the pattern or try a new one… I’m thinking about trying Kwik Sew 3614 (despite the terrible picture) they’re described as “fitted shorts” which might work for me. I will have to find a copy though. It’s out of stock at the JoAnn’s and on Amazon. Maybe I’ll have better luck at G-Street. Even if it means going to G-Street. .. 🙁 This area has a class problem in some places that if they don’t think you’re “fancy” enough they’re going to ruin your day. G-Street is one of those places, and as an engineer who lives frugally because it seems prudent, and who sews her own clothes because it’s practical and fun, I’m very much not what they think of as fancy. Though when I buy the nice wool suiting (yay designer lengths on sale!) and know to get the good lining fabric they will at least be polite. Maybe I can get my invisible zipper foot while I’m at it. The fact that Bernina will only sell feet for their machines through their dealers and the fact that the only local dealer (G-Street) is both rude and is always out of stock of half of them is not a good time. Oh! I could bike there on my day off when it’s nice out, that makes it more appealing! Then I’ll have my zipper foot, my pattern and maybe something cool from the remnant pile. We’ll see…

I also have to decide what I want to knit next. I finished my cropped cardigan so I need another big project. My “Summer Flies” shawl is my current portable project. I have a couple of sweaters in my queue and I want to make my father-in-law more socks at some point. Or I could start working on my vest again…hm… It’ll probably be the vest or the socks, spring is to new for me to want to think about sweaters right now!

Sewing Plans for Fabric and Patterns

January 16, 2015 / Louise

The last list of plans is for sewing. Now sewing is a little harder to plot out than gardening or knitting. Part of this is the fact that I always have a hard time finding the fabric I want and then picking one. Yarn is more straightforward! (Not easy either, but at least easier than fabric.) This year’s sewing is probably going to be more relaxed than last year’s. I have a good baseline of clothes now so it will be less of a giant rush. So I have two goals, first I’m not going to rush and second I’m going to make the things I really want rather than trying to sew in bulk. In terms of not sewing in a rush, this means that if I make a mistake I’m going to rip out the seam and do it again; even if it would look “mostly ok”. I’ve found that when I’m sewing I want to move on and do the next step, but if I leave in all the cludges I’m not happy with the end result, and I will feel a little sad when I wear it since it’s almost exactly what I want.

Summer Dress – I like making a new summer dress every spring. I don’t know what it’ll be yet, expect it will be in a bright print and probably the Anna Dress. I have several blue dresses so I think a nice red one would be fun, but it’ll all depend on what I find. Picking out prints is really hard… Sometimes though I find an amazing one randomly though. That was the source of last year’s summer dress.

Winter skirts – I’m working on these now. There’s no pattern picture since I’m using a self drafted pattern. I wanted an A-line skirt with some, but not too much, of a flair at the bottom. Previously I’ve used a gored skirt pattern (B1314) but it comes out looking kind of frumpy. This might be because gored skirts are targeted at women of a certain age in stores and it doesn’t look ‘modern’ either. While I love having kind of a vintage look to my casual dresses and outfits, it’s not a good fit for work which is often very formal. (until very recently the dress code was suites every day) So the expected look is well cut pencil skirts or trousers. Having a small waist and wide hips a pencil skirt hits at my widest point and then goes straight down which looks awful and wide leg trousers have a very similar problem.

So, how to have a ‘modern’ formal style that also works for a pear/curvy shape? The answer that works best for me is A-line with a gentle flair and a curved waistband. The curved waistband is important since modern skirts often sit a little below your natural waist and if you’re curvy there’s a definite angle at that that point on your body. The curved waistband means that your waistband will follow that angle rather than sticking out and leaving an awkward gap.

Also by having an A-line skirt with seams at the sides, you have a smooth front on the skirt that’s visually similar to a pencil skirt (and is easier and faster to sew, a major plus for lined formal skirts!) but with a shape that emphasizes the waist and awesome curves. Since these are incredibly rare as ready made skirts I ended up looking up some historical photos (1940s) as examples. My skirts end up being similar to the pictures above.

I’m planning to make them out of wool suiting (at least two at standard weight and two at tropical weight). I’d like to do at least two in black, one in dark grey and maybe one in tan if I can find a good color. I will line them with rayon in a matching shade.

Summer PJs – These will be a second set, the same as 2014’s summer ones (Kwik Sew 3553 for the top and Tofino’s for the bottoms) in bright colored cotton prints. I have one pair in a dark teal/green. So I think I’d like a second pair in blue. Or maybe navy with a small red pattern. I don’t usually add the piping or the bow to mine (the elastic is enough). It’s worth doing the combination since the Tofinio’s have a better fit than the basic pants pattern that comes with K3553.

And as for why bother? Sure, PJs can be any random T-shirt and pair of exercise shorts or lounge pants, but these look good and I don’t feel awkward wandering around in them in the morning before I take my shower and get dressed. Also they’re more comfortable. Made in a light cotton woven fabric they’re loose and breathe well which makes them cool and comfortable for summer.

Fall/Spring PJs – These will be the same patterns as the summer ones (Kwik Sew 3553 for the top and Tofino’s for the bottoms) probably with long sleeves (or short sleeves and long pants…) and in cotton prints, probably one set with green and flowers and one set in reds.

Winter Robe – This is going to be a standard robe for wearing around the house first thing in the morning when it’s cold. I’m planning to make this out of dark green polar fleece using Simplicity 1562. If I could find something a little more stylish that would be awesome, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen so I guess I’ll aim for warm and comfortable.

Work Shirts – This will be Butterick 5526, the test version went really well, so next up are versions using fancy shirting. I have a nice silver and grey plaid as well as a french blue with a subtle pattern.

Holiday Dress – This might be a Hawthorne or maybe the Anna Dress or maybe the Snowball Dress or B6089. It will be in a dark navy wool plaid with light blue and lavender lines. I want a proper awesome holiday dress that I can wear with my holiday shawl or cardigan, so this will be it. Whatever it ends up being, I’d like it to have a full skirt and either a shirt collar type bodice or a boat neck. We’ll see…

There will also probably be things for Patrick too, as he requests them. These are most likely to be work shirts and pants, maybe some t-shirts or shorts. I’d also like to make a second set of flannel sheets and some pillowcases to match.

Crafting for a New Year

January 4, 2015 / Louise

So, 2015 has started. That means it’s time to make plans for what to make. These are largely projects that fill a practical need, but also include things that are just for fun. In particular I’ve got a couple things to work on, stuff I want to make, stuff I want to learn, and stuff I want to do.

So, things to make.

Clothing – Last year I worked on learning how to make basic clothing, either with sewing or knitting. This year I want to take that a step further and see if I can make clothing that meets or exceeds the standards of decent ready-to-wear. This will mean working more slowly and carefully. In terms of kinds of projects, this will likely be professional wear, dresses, sweaters and maybe some socks.
Menswear – Another project last year was finding decent options for P. There are surprisingly few patterns for men, so this year I’m planning to expand my collection of self-drafted men’s patterns as well as make some new clothes for P. This will probably be professional wear again, with some casual shirts for fun.
Household items – Time to make some useful things like flannel sheets, pillow cases and insulated curtains (what can I say, it may not be as cold here, but it’s damp all winter and that may actually be worse!). There aren’t a lot of good instructions for these, so I think they’ll also make fun posts.
Food – 2014 saw my first real attempts at canning and preserving, so this year it’s time to build on that! This means making more jams, pickles, frozen veggies and seeing if I can put up some actual tomatoes this year! I’d also like to improve on keeping up with the make-ahead dinner options.

Next up, things to learn.

Knitting Machine – It’s sitting in the living room in all it’s needs-to-be-oiled glory. The circa-1957 instructions are pretty limited, so some experimentation needs to happen. I want to learn to use it, maintain it and develop patterns for it.
Plant propagation – Growing plants is awesome, having the means to generate more plants yourself for free is even more awesome. I want to learn to take cuttings from roses and save seeds. I’ve got some pumpkin seeds from last year’s surprise pumpkins, so I will call that the first step!
New Recipes – I want to learn to make desserts and new types of bread, so this will take some experimentation. If I’m lucky though given that it’s bread and desserts, hopefully even the failures will be worth trying.
Pressure canning – I’ve got a good start on water bath canning, so next is pressure canning. I want to learn how to care for my pressure cooker and how to use it safely.

And finally, things to do.

See more of the world – Making things, even practical things, is still a creative effort. Getting out to see and do things like great music and the beauty of nature is necessary to fuel the ability to make. So more of that!
Share knowledge – I’ve learned a lot, and hope to continue that, so now it’s time to share that. With any luck this blog will help with that.
Work for myself – A lot of my crafts are practical, and I use them at home or for my family. It’s a way of using my efforts to make our lives better, happier or just get a little closer to our goals. I’d like to see if I can build on that.
Grow things – I’ve got a couple gardens under my belt, so I’d like to see if I can make this year a garden I’m proud of from March to November.

Category: Planning (Page 2 of 2)

Christmas in July

May Day

Sewing Plans for Fabric and Patterns

Crafting for a New Year

About Me

My Garden!

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