bodner052

Version 2 Vogue 9171 is a relatively recent pattern developed by Marcy Tilton for Vogue. This signature tunic style seems to be very current now from my vantage point. This one has several interesting style features. There is a center front seam. I almost never complain about a vertical line in a pattern. I like this. The front pieces wrap to the back creating an angular shoulder seam, that sits forward about an inch or so. . The pocket is inserted into a corner formed by piece 1 and 14 so that it falls in soft folds Marcy's silhouette is often one with a lantern shape, perhaps not the best on a quasi-pear shaped person like me. I tend to fall between pear-shaped and straight-up-and-down. I have convinced myself that these tunics work as long as I pair them with narrow leg pants or leggings. Version 1 Having said that, making these Marcy Tilton patterns with puzzler pockets are enough fun that I almost don't mind if it stays in the closet. But it won't. This particular patt...

Yes. They. Do. I've made two now and I'm convinced these are great fitting pants. The E ureka Pattern envelope contains pants to trace based on your dimensions and one of three butt shapes. I was lucky to have Rae Cumbie fit me at the Atlanta Expo, so she selected the size and the appropriate butt shape. And she pinned until they were right and made notes on further changes. There was no guesswork for me. I made the mods she prescribed, changing only the length. They are just right. I think. I fussed and fumed over the white pants. They are not slimming. I ended up taking them in and shortening them. But they were probably fine before that. The fabric is a soft denim, easy to sew and comfy to wear. I finished the waistline with a narrow, straight-of-grain binding. Next I made a pair from this yummy cross-dyed linen from The Sewing Workshop. I just love this version of green. I chose to add a facing to these. I added the facings before seaming the side seams. This gave me an ea...

Or is it the Zany top? That's the expressed preference for spell-checker. I'm not sure how to assess it just yet, so maybe Zany is good. Patterns from the Sewing Workshop are always fun to use. They are carefully drafted and the illustrated instructions are spot-on. This one has an interesting Y seam that forms the left hand side drape. It had me scratching my head initially, but a careful reading led to good results. Before the-trip-that-was-not , I had cut it out. I used pieces from recycled men's shirts, creating a color-blocked version. This is essentially a muslin/toile. The color blocking is helpful in a muslin, I think. It highlights the architecture of an unusual piece like this one. I made three changes. The pattern calls for a key-hole opening in the back seam. I created a front opening instead. I also lengthened the sleeves about 2 inches. Lastly I added a pocket just because the men's shirt had one that I had previously harvested. I had my doubts about this ...

My travel sewing kit, doubles as a pin cushion, contains all the essentials. If in a tight space, I place the thread in the sewing kit, and thread the end through to the outside. This keeps me from chasing a spool down on an airplane! Twenty-four hours ago, I was scrambling to get things together to leave for a terrific trip to Iceland, followed by several days in Paris, and then a sweet visit to my son and his family in New England. I had all my hand-sewing ready to go. Today, after a long day in the airport, I am at home, letting go of my expectations and returning to life-as-normal. A little weather (can you hear the hail in the video?) and a too-tight schedule caused our best-laid-plans to unravel. And guess what? It's OK. Sure, we lost some money. And our luggage has not surfaced. And it contains my only clean underwear. But in the end, we have more than we deserve and there will be another trip, another time(*). needle case made for me by BSF So for now, I'll be stitching...

From time to time, a previous make needs repairs or just changes. I consider that great fun. About 36 inches x 45 inches According to my label, I made this quilt - *Many Moons* - a decade ago. It was a long-term project for travel. I cut out 3 inch circles from freezer paper and ironed it on cotton batik. Then I basted the batik fabric around the perimeter of the paper circle. Lastly I hand-appliqued it to 4 inch square backgrounds of varying batiks. It was very portable. For the large motif I appliqued varying sizes of circles together. After piecing it together, I quilted it with the machine, stitching in the ditch. I finished it with batik bias binding. It mostly hangs on the wall, being too small to use for warmth. Recently I took it down and washed it. Afterwards I realized that it needed more quilting. What a fine opportunity for hand work! You can see in the picture above that I used sashiko stitching to stitch about 1/4 inch inside the circles. Some are not yet stitched. I real...