Pencil Girls Christmas Gift To Me

longer sleeves. I vote for yes.

Pencil Girl made me this Kimono Jacket. She's been a friend since college and we both worked at the same fabric store - so we've sewn our whole lives together.

Anyway - last fall, she and I went to a Sip (wine in a fabric store!) and Sew at Fabric Depot to meet MimiG (look her up) and Deb  Kreiling. We'd met Deb for the first time at Sew Expo last Spring. She pretty much runs Simplicity Patterns.

Deb is shockingly short (my apologies, but she's shorter than me) and was wearing this beautiful kimono style jacket. I ran and grabbed the pattern, as did Pencil Girl. FYI: Simplicity 1108.

The jacket was so simple and so flattering.

straight from work with sweaty tshirt

 Pencil Girl even egged me on to buy this georgette - a fine flowy fabric on one of our recent Fabric Depot trips. I declined  - mostly because I was just starting the holiday season at work. I don't need more fabric waiting for me to find time.

Was I ever surprised to see this in my mailbox the other day. She does exquisite finishing too. And this is a muslin - made quickly to finesse the fit.

It fits!

Deb from Simplicity added some sleeve bands - lengthening the sleeve at the same time. Pencil Girl even made up some longer sleeve bands for me to try out.

Right now - I'm too lazy to change anything. And for the first time in months, I dreamed about sewing during my nap the other day. I may have the perfect fabric to make another in my stash.

I'm still a bit amazed that she sewed a wearable garment for me, and it fits, that I am showing you totally unedited photos. Don't get used to it.

***Update on missing package - see previous posts if you're nosy:
Today - wednesday - I received an email from USPS inviting me to fill out a survey regarding our recent missing package case. I was not flattering as no one has resolved anything nor have they followed up. Hello - here's my email.............

Tonight - ds found a note from the apartment complex manager that he had a package in the office. **** Could it be the missing one suddenly visible again? Is there two?

Stay tuned. It's almost been a month. Well - longer than three weeks. I mailed it on the 20th of December?

SewExpo 2017

I am still processing this last weekend. At the literal last minute (6:43am), I was allowed time off work to attend SewExpo in Puyallup, Washington.

Pencil Girl had been up there since Tuesday and Kyle, from VacuumingTheLawn, was planning to attend. I wanted to go badly but someone else had the time off at work. Miracles do happen - even if the process is too tortuous to watch.

I watched serious sewing inspiration unfold before my eyes and I think I have the last puzzle piece to my future business plan. Since I came home, I have  been busy researching and figuring out how this puzzle piece will enable me to work from home and earn the income I need.

 I met Deb from Simplicity Patterns. She made this dress at the last hour before the show. You would never know how this pattern became this cutie-pie dress from looking at the pattern envelope. She added this denim pleated trim after making the dress and her discerning eye is apparently why she works for Simplicity patterns.

 Here she is holding that pattern up - pardon that lighting. Those were flutter sleeves on the envelope. It's always nice to meet someone shorter than myself who can fit for her figure. --- And then add the pizazz that makes it work.

 The McCall's Fashion Runway Show was amazing and inspirational. Gertie is another blogger who has made this industry work for her. She not only designs patterns and fabric, she is now rockin' the runway.

 Alongside her on the runway was a new to me blogger, Riva LaDiva (washington state). The runway patter was done by Melissa Watson (Oregon!). Her mom helped create the Palmer & Pletch Method of sewing (also Oregon).

These are all people who have made sewing create a living for themselves.

The trends this year are all about the sleeves. From Flutters to Cold Shoulders (shoulder cut-out), anything you do to make sleeves amazing is something to aspire to.

Next to her on the left is Kyle, from Vacuuming The Lawn, who is an amazing technical sewist  from the east coast who I specifically prayed to the gods of vacation to meet up ***in person***.

 Just loved this t shirt knit. I bought two lengths of knit for t-shirts because this show is evolving into garment sewing with vendors bringing those type of sewing materials. Quilting is still huge but it was nice to see some of the sewing notions available to learn about and buy that make sewing your own clothes successful.

I think we all agreed this booth, Style Maker Fabrics, was spot on with trendy fabrics.

 And, of course, the airplane spotting continues. This was in the ByAnnie booth with a ten dollar pattern. I already own this airplane block from numerous historical patterns. Her booth features her patterns and the supplies that make a bag better. Another person who has made sewing work for her.

 A little bit of cute irony. They did have the fabric available from which they fussy cut these little blocks. However, in a fat quarter of material, this was one of 20 sewing quotes.

Irony is the opposite of wrinkly. An embroidery project for the future.

 This piece was a bit overdone with the cut-outs. But I loved it for the inspiration when I make bags - having the under material peep out through cut-outs in the vinyl.

 Babylock's Embroidery machine. It can digitize your designs so you don't have to rely on someone elses designs and fonts. I'm thinking deep airplane thoughts here.

Just peeping out from under my arm is my big Pendleton shopping bag. It holds a million little purchases.

 In the same booth as the squirrel at the start of this post. If I ever quilted - I am in love with this strip applique method of adding texture and depth. 
Thankfully - I don't quilt.

Cuz - they sold kits.

Tempting - so tempting.

 Free Motion Quilting (FMQ) in a dragonfly motif.    Love.

My bag from Pacific Fabrics - with an airplane on it. You have to spend $50 to get the bag which is usually no trouble as this Washington fabric store understands marketing to sewists. They stocked pocket tissues with sewing machines on them. They often have airplane fabric, but also other cool fabrics that you must buy.

So, a funny story::: I went early on Saturday  morning before the crowds hit so I could look at everything in the Pacific Fabric booth. Then I took advantage of the cheap coat/bag check to store my Pacific Fabrics haul for the day so I didn't have to cart around heavy stuff.

I didn't know they closed promptly at 6pm. We were sitting in the food court chatting and eating and Pencil Girl had to go off to her Satuday Night Quilter's Evening Out show. Kyle and  I got up to go and get my bag and the door was locked. Tight. Then we had to find someone with keys. To open it up - cuz my car keys were in my coat. Just a little adventure....

Long post, too busy to figure out how to make several posts. Thank you for reading so far.
SewExpo is the best sewing show out there and I'm lucky enough to live 2 hrs and 40 minutes away from it.

I'm back on overtime, so my free time has been used up thinking deep thoughts about the future which is creeping quickly towards me. I'm happy the Sewing Gods intervened and made this trip possible.

An Ode To Pencil Girl

 It is almost impossible to sew for oneself without a tailors dummy. I'm this close to making a duct tape one - except I hate the smell of duct tape.
The almost 100' heat wave continues here in Oregon, making it impossible to be outside except in the early morning hours. Thank the lord we have air conditioning. And a fan. I have been sewing.

Not easy projects either.
Look - I sewed work shorts and a tank top

I succumbed to a craftsy deal a year or so ago where I bought this pattern and fabric for $25.
Even I know it was a good deal. A yard and a half of Anna Maria Horner's  "Field Study" Rayon Challis plus a Simplicity 1614 paper pattern.
{It's title is "Sinister Swarm" which I didn't know ('cuz that's just scary).}

This fabric is so soft.

I'm using Front D and Back B.

This Sinster Swarm fabric is so busy, that sewing random lines would never appear in the finished item. Plus that yoke bit in front - not so easy to fit on my adult girls. 

Pencil Girl and I met up last May and she tissue-fitted me with these pieces.
Once I cut out the fabric, I pinned the fabric pieces to my tank top I was wearing.

I dealt with an extra inch at the top front by creating 2" of tiny gathers. I also had some armhole gaping in front so I pinched a small 3" dart in as well. This fabric is so busy, I can't even see these seams, so I was doubly glad we opted out of extra seams in view A and B.

Other than that, her tissue fitting was spot on. I am very appreciative that she offered.

Here's the back view below - I think I was leaning forward fruitlessly forgetting that I had my hair chopped off a couple of weeks ago and there was no need to lean my head down.

My daughter was home for a quick weekend wedding and I made her pin my hem and take photos.

Combining different views created a weird hem and I didn't want it straight across.
Originally, I was going to put a small handkerchief hem with points at the side seams but my daughter who has way more style sense than me pinned this instead.

You can see my work shorts too. Three sets of pockets. A buttload of top stitching.
And finished!

Still have chalk marks but the first wash should smarten these up. I'm curious to see what the first wash will do for my rayon challis tank top. I think the bias tape that got a wee bit  stretched  will resume it's proper shape.

Swarm of pretty butterflies...

The top edges and the armholes are all bound with bias tape which is secure. That rayon challis on the bias stretched every which way and I might have had a few words with it before we finished. I almost went with some commercial black  bias tape but decided against because this fabric is so soft and commercial bias tape is not. At times while wrestling, I cursed my decision.

I hemmed this with a simple double hem and grabbed the photographer right before she left.

Not sure why top is rucked up on front right but you do see what's behind me?
The fuselage for the Piper J-5.
In my garage.

Thank you PENCIL GIRL!
I couldn't have started without your help and encouragment.
This tank top is so soft and comfortable. No pulling when I sit down.

*** I didn't have to re-thread anything as Navy Blue was in both the serger and the pfaff.
Me and my lazy ways...

****Pencil girl is just a code name for a dear friend. (I've known her since college!) Those friends of mine who don't blog have a screen name as my internet protection method is one of confusion.

***** Did you notice the wonder clips in the hemming process???