Poppies For A Weary Mind

Sorry about the protracted absence.  Our virus program ate our computer, and we've only just gotten it straightened out.  There's also been some personal drama (not the least of which was a broken tripod), and I can say with great certainty that 2011 is letting me down already.  Unfortunately, this also means that my sewing time has been drastically reduced, but I hope that this is, likewise, straightened out.

So, without further ado, here is my first finished garment of 2011, Simplicity 2580.  I finished this dress right after the new year, so my memory of this might be a little hazy.  I picked up this ITY jersey from Fabric Depot on a whim when my only purchase was supposed to be interfacing.  I loved it so very much for its bright colors and abstract poppy pattern, and I dug through my patterns searching for something that wouldn't complete with the happy spring flowers.  I was originally going to make View C but ended up using the cowl neckline from View D instead.  I'm glad that I did because I don't have to wear a cami under the dress for work.

Nephew J is making a cameo appearance.

There are a lot of things to like about this dress that have nothing to do with the snazzy fabric (although that's part of the attraction in my book).  It's simple, first of all.  Just seven pieces, and it would only have been six if I'd cut the skirt back on the fold which is entirely possible.  In fact, I'm not even quite sure why there is a center back seam in the skirt at all.  The self-facing of the top front is very neat and while I had a few problems picturing how it went together in my head, I just followed the instructions and trusted that this would all work out.  I followed the instructions as drafted, but had to do some futzing to get the folded portion of the cowl to line up with the finished back neckline without gapping.  I will probably make the v-neck version, too and plan to attempt the Slapdash Sewist's excellent tutorial for finishing the neckline on that version.

Tripod fixed.  Can finally get my ladypose on.  Note to self:  Watch ANTM for pointers.

About the sleeves, while I love the little flutter sleeves, I think that the instructions could be a little more clear about whether the ends of the sleeve are supposed to meet at the bottom of the armscye or overlap slightly.  If they're just supposed to meet, it takes a bit of maneuvering to get them inserted and sewn correctly.  If you don't get this just right, part of the underarm ends up being left unfinished. 

So, the 10 pounds I put on over the last very bad year apparently went straight to my butt.

Overall, I really liked this pattern.  It's a great little dress, and I've been relying on stretchy clothes over the past couple of months because of the weight gain while my father was undergoing chemotherapy and other treatments that exploded all over the place for most of the fall and part of January (the flyskim Dad remains cancer-free following his most recent pet scan, by the way).  It was nice to be able to put something together and be finished over a weekend as I've also had a lot of problems sustaining productivity with everything that's been going on.  Based on the weekly wear that this dress has been getting, I'd call this a major success. 

I recently also finished McCalls 5974 and will report on that over the weekend. 

However, that is going to be the last stretch fabric for a little while.  I need to work on properly fitting woven fabrics again and get back to several projects that have been allowed to languish since last fall. 

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Just a quick shout to say that the computer is on the fritz, and posting is on hold until we can arrange for the fix-it guys to raise it back from the dead.  And this couldn't come at a more inconvenient time because I have completed the first finished object of 2011.  Until the, I'm limited to posting via phone, and the way I write, it takes forever, what with the full words, the complete sentences and proper punctuation.

This Property is Condemned

Well, not actually, but it came really close.  I had planned to use my four-day New Year's weekend to finish up two of my languishing sewing projects, but I'd forgotten that we'd used my sewing room/the guest room as a dumping ground for pretty much everything when we were getting the house cleaned up for our Christmas Eve dinner party.  I went upstairs with great purpose (and the beginning of a sore throat) and was greeted by this:

I know.  Who could sew in that?

To tell the truth, this was about halfway through the cleaning process, but I didn't think to take a picture until I was in the middle of it.  But once I'd started, it became clear that I was in trouble.  It had gotten to the point where I had so many random zippers and buttons and seam tape that I just kept buying more because I couldn't remember what I already had.  So, I ripped everything out of the closet and the cabinet and sorted it all into piles and then made the journey to Ikea for organizational supplies. 

My own little corner, and my own little chair.

The furniture was an Ikea purchase from last year, so that's not new, but at least you can get to it now without breaking your neck.  My little bulletin/magnet board is right next to the sewing machine for inspiration and makes a nifty holder for the pattern instructions.  The closet door on the right is where I keep most of my sewing supplies.  And hanging on the door?  The half-finished Lady Grey which I will be resuming soon.

I used to just keep my fabric stash in the closet in a bunch of plastic tubs, but I thought the space could be better used.  We had this little shelf unit in the basement, and it was a perfect fit.  I got labeled boxes and clear jars for all of my notions and trim, and now, in theory, I'll actually be able to find things rather than just getting frustrated.  I also went through my fabric and pulled out the pieces that I want to work with next and have them ready and waiting on the bottom shelf.

And there's still room for my extra sewing machine, my steamer and my two large thread caddies.  There's also access to the hanging bar for works-in-progress.

Why, hello Rachel Berry and Jesse St. James.

I also cleaned up my pattern collection.  It was all over the floor in an attempt to match patterns with fabric.  That's the small version of the Ikea Aneboda chest that so many other bloggers before me have discovered.  I can't remember who I saw using it first, so I don't know who to thank for the great find.  I don't really have that many patterns, so the smaller chest works just fine.  I'm not even using the third drawer yet.

Yay!  You can get to the ironing board again.  And it's not covered in piles of stuff!

I have to share space with the guest room, but we only have live-in visitors three or four times a year.  Unfortunately, the room is only big enough for either the bed or the sewing paraphernalia, and there's no other place to put the bed when it's not in use, so it gets stacked up against one wall.  It doesn't go to waste as it makes a dandy cat bed.  And I also drape wools on it for pretreating with the steamer.

Oh my!  Mr. Darcy is standing on his head!

Which brings us to the library.  Because of the bed, there are really only two accessible shelves on our bookcase, and I've taken them over to house my collection of sewing/knitting/jewelry books and my personal video collection (i.e. the things Mr. flyskim would rather die than watch).

 

Which brings us back around to where we started, with the Brother and the Juki.  So, now that I'm put back together and once I can manage to shake this unending cold, I'll be hitting it hard.  I just ordered this fun flannel from Fabric.com and see a pair of pyjama pants in my near future.

Dear 2010:

I'll be honest.  You were not my best year.  You will always be the year that I lost my grandmother.  You will always be the year that my father battled lung cancer.  These two things are so huge that I suspect that they will overshadow most of the other wonderful things that happened in the past 12 months when I think back to 2010 in my memory.  And that's not fair because a lot of good things happened in 2010 as well.  So in order to jog my future faulty memory, here are five things that happened during your tenure that made my life a better place to be.

1. My father had his first follow-up PET scan two weeks ago, and he continues to be cancer-free.
2. I got a promotion at work right after I started thinking about how I could actually make that happen.  Also, my professional life continues to be content and satisfying for many, many reasons.
3. I got my first serger, and it was a lot easier to deal with than I had feared.  I am now obsessed with knits and have to make myself work with wovens.  And I learned how to fit patterns to my wonky, three-different-sized body!
4. Mr. flyskim and I had our first out-of-town vacation without family in nearly five years.  New Orleans was definitely a highlight.  Also, we flew in just prior to a big storm with high winds and were safely on the ground and in our hotel when flights started being diverted to Houston.  We heard a few accounts of the nightmare it was trying to land in the middle of the storm (plane just dropping 1000 feet, wind shear, flight attendants crying, etc.), and all I can say is if we had been in the middle of that, we would have stayed in Houston because there is no power on Earth that could have gotten me back in the air.
5. Mr. flyskim.  I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but I hope to keep it up.

So, nothing earth-shatteringly big (except for the dad's test results).  But if you aren't thankful for the small things, the world will never trust you with the big things.  And while I can't say that I'm sorry to see you go, I'm also not shoving you out the door, hat in hand.  I won't lie.  I have great hopes for your successor, and even if 2011 is uneventful, it will outshine you.  May you live in interesting times is a curse, after all.  But you didn't do such a bad job as years go (2004, I'm looking at you when I say this).  You were just a victim of circumstance, and in the future, I hope to remember you fairly, if not always fondly.

The Summer of the Soul is in December

One More Sleep Til Christmas!

Even as an adult I find it difficult to sleep on Christmas Eve.  Yuletide excitement is a potent caffeine, no matter your age.  ~ Carrie Latet

2 Days Til Christmas!

Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something besides ourselves. ~ Eric Sevareid

3 Days Til Christmas!

Teddy Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for environmental reasons.

4 Days Til Christmas!

As reported in the New York Times on December 19, 2007, a Santa Claus flying in a helicopter and carrying toys to give to poor children in Rio de Janeiro was fired upon by suspected drug traffickers.  Mistaking him for a police operative, the drug traffickers hit the helicopter twice, forcing it to return to base.  Santa completed his delivery by car, braving the legendary Rio street traffic.  (From Stupid Christmas by Leland Gregory)

5 Days Til Christmas!

Christmas celebrations were banned in Puritan Boston from 1659 to 1681.  Anyone caught participating in any Christmas-related event or activity was fined five shillings.  Not sure what that would be worth today.

What Have They Been Doing Down On The Farm?

You may have noticed that there has been a marked lack of sewing-related activity going on around here lately.  Chez flyskim hasn't been completely devoid of sewing.  I'm about halfway finished with Vogue 7937:

Still needs a zipper, a facing and a hem.  But that shouldn't take more than an afternoon.  There's a skirt that's in a very similar fabric in the Talbot's Spring 2011 collection that inspired me.

And I've pattern-fitted and made a muslin for the bodice of Vogue 8615:

Please excuse the grainy photo.

I'm ready to cut the fashion fabric and have my purchased petticoat ordered from Petticoat Junction.  I'm lucky that they're in Lynnwood, Washington so that I have a shot at getting it on time for Christmas.  And that this dress is a Very Easy Vogue pattern.  Once the fabric and the lining are cut out, it should only take a couple of hours to put together.  I have a back-up dress just in case, though.

So, what else has been going on around here?

A little knitting

Our friends S and V had a baby girl in October, so I've been hard at work on a baby blanket.  Full details to follow shortly.

A little baking

Mmmm, duded-up chocolate chip cookies with peanuts, peanut butter and cinnamon.

 I've been keeping my co-workers in treats all month long.  I started with a basic chocolate chip but soon moved on to brownies, toffee bars, toasted almond cookies and a chocolate, peanut and cinnamon cookie.  This week's offerings?  More brownies and toffee bars and some chocolate gingerbread.  But these are going to our neighbors, not to work.  Then it stops.  Seriously.  I've probably put on five pounds, and I'm cranky all the time.

A little tree trimming

How're you gonna keep the cat down on the floor now that he's seen the tree?

And a little light carpentry

 

It's a window seat!  Really.  It's actually completed now except for the staining, but I want to hold off on the reveal until we've had a chance to get the finishing done.  However, this is probably the most expensive cat bed we'll ever own.

6 Days Til Christmas!

This, unfortunately, is not me.  I'm not sure what my mother did with all of my pictures with Santa.  She's not really the sentimental type.

The first department store to feature a visit with Santa was the J.W. Parkinson's store in Philadelphia in 1841.  No other department stores copied this even until 1890 when a store in Boston repeated it. 

On a personal note, visiting Santa is one of my most treasured Christmas memories.  My Nana (who passed away this last June) would take me into San Francisco on the train for the day.  We would have lunch at the counter at Woolworth's at the corner of Powell and Market and then go to the top floor of Emporium (where Bloomindale's is now) and wait in the huge line (it was like waiting for a ride at Disneyland) to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what I wanted for Christmas.  Some sort of Barbie, a Lite Brite or an Easy Bake Oven.  Then we would go out on the roof, and my Nana would let me ride the kiddie-sized carnival rides before it got dark, and we would take the train home.  Emporium stopped this tradition at some point (I'm not sure when) but started it up again in the 1980s and was still going strong when the store closed after 100 years on Market Street.

There's more information about the Emporium Rooftop Christmas Carnival here.  A history of the store itself written at its closing is here.

7 Days Til Christmas!

There is a remarkable breakdown of taste and intelligence at Christmastime.  Mature, responsible grown men wear neckties made of holly leaves and drink alcoholic beverages with raw egg yolks and cottage cheese in them.  ~ P.J. O'Rourke

8 Days Til Christmas!

It is estimated that 400,000 people become sick each year from tainted Christmas leftovers.

9 Days Til Christmas!

In 2002, 7% of shopping mall Santa and Santa helper applicants had committed misdemeanors or felonies in the last seven years.  The offenses included indecent exposure, soliciting prostitution and drunken driving.