bodner052

For a number of years now, I've paid fairly close attention to grain line in woven fabrics, much more so than when I first started sewing. It's interesting to me that cross-wise grain is different (and more stretchy) than length-wise grain. Today I had a tiny ah-ha moment when I realized that bias actually has two very different directions. I began to consider this as I wore and enjoyed my most recent Chateau jacket, constructed from a thrifted bedspread. Although each front piece was cut on the same length-wise grain line, the neckline twisted in two different directions. Now that I look back I can see the twisting beginning right after I finished it. You can just barely see the torque. The left side of the picture shows the corner turning under and the right side shows the corner turning out. Over time it became more pronounced and so it bugged me more. No amount of pressing and steam-setting eliminated the torque. The neck edge is of course finished with bias binding. So I w...

A few years ago, Grainline Studio and the Fringe Supply Co jointly published a pattern for the Stowe Bag. I think it was conceived as a handy bag for knitting projects. I knit from time to time but it is not a passion. I'd much rather be sewing (or drawing). I've been meaning to make it for a while now just because it looks interesting. I finally made it because my reusable grocery bags evaporated. I keep them in the back of my station wagon and one day - poof - they were not there. DH believes I left them somewhere. The Stowe comes in two sizes and has an interesting shape, I think. My first one was made in the smaller size. I followed the instructions carefully and learned a lot about its shape. Version 1 with the flat pleats The overall shape of it is the same as the ugly plastic bags handed out at my local grocery store. It has inner pleats that make the shape flat and regular when stored. In the case of the Stowe, the pleats are sewn on the same side; in the case of the ...

and just couldn't resist(*). Recently I spotted some linen curtains at a consignment shop. They are a color I like and I knew I'd have fun cutting them up to make clothes. And I have - Quincy pants, Stafford jacket (as a vest), and MixIt top. These are all patterns from the Sewing Workshop, of course. . First I made the Quincy pants and added a fun detail to the hems. We were on our way to Havana where the weather was just right for linen pants. I am still playing with the hem detail, trying to get the length just right. These are elastic-waist pants with a narrow leg that I like a lot. The Stafford jacket is the latest pattern published by the Sewing Workshop. There is a sew-along underway on Facebook right now. Over the years, I have always enjoyed making Sewing Workshop patterns. The details are interesting and the instructions are just right. This was no exception. I hesitated a half-minute because it is quite a boxy looking jacket. And the sleeves seem a bit wide and are...

Not much sewing. And I feel decoupled, almost unhinged. I just returned from a sketching-painting tour of Havana with Jane LaFazio . And in the weeks leading up to it, I was distracted by life situations, all unrelated to sewing or creating. I did manage to make one pair of linen pants from the Sewing Workshop's Quincy pattern to take with me. I had fun adding a little something to the ankle. Light-weight linen was just right for the perfect weather in Havana. Havana was divine, so full of color, culture, and energy. Each day we visited a special location for drawing and then painting with wonderful Jane. However, my artistic attempts started out a little bumpy as I did not bring the correct supplies. I've done a bit of doodling and sketching for quite a while now, but I had never tried water color. I thought I purchased a small water color set but soon (not soon enough) I realized I had only bought tubes of water color paints. That is, I had no palette. Oh, and I also brought ...