Sunday, October 28, 2007

Pizza and a sneak peek

Don't let the bad picture fool you, this pizza was delicious. I used this recipe with a few modifications (more cheese and roasted red peppers). I can't believe I've never cooked a butternut squash before. I can't wait to try more recipes with this fabulous fall vegetable.

Here's a sneak peek of a little project I completed this weekend. Can you guess what it is?

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Oh Amy B, why do you keep doing this to me?

Amy Butler is hands down my favorite textile designer. I discovered her about five years ago when I was just getting into sewing. She was and still is a constant source of inspiration. But come on, sometimes a girl can get a little overwhelmed by all those beautiful fabrics and patterns that keep coming out of her studio.


How does she do it? I often wonder. Just when I build up enough resistance to the temptation to buy all of her fabrics and patterns, she comes out with more. I give in, my efforts to resist are futile.


I love the all the possibilities of her new patterns (coming soon she says). Looks like my birthday and Christmas wish list just got a little longer. If you haven't seen it already, check out her article on The Quilter's Buzz.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Weekend wrapup (aka, feeling fine)

This weekend, I didn't turn on the TV until night had fallen. This weekend, I didn't let myself get overwhelmed by sewing possibilities. This weekend, I did shimmy to Feist while pressing seams, I finished a dress, I sewed a seam on a sweater, I cleaned my closets (gasp!!! talk about overwhelming!), I did a little pattern therapy, wined and dined, watched cheesy movies, and caught up with friends.

I had a great weekend. How was yours?

I also snapped a shot of the appliqued t-shirt I picked up at the Crafty Bastards Fair a few weeks ago. It's from SaltLick NYC and I love it.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

The state of things

I know it's been crickets over here latey. Here's a recap of what's been going on behind the scenes. I'm nearly done with my frou frou sweater. I'm a little amazed and relieved that it actually looks like a sweater.

I've also dusted off the sewing machine and have something in the works.

Oh, and I'm loving my new fall shoes.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Duds

There are two reasons why I haven't been posting. First, our AC broke a month ago and our landlord hasn't replaced it yet. This wasn't really a problem until it hit 90 degrees. I don't know many people that want to do much of anything when it feels like 95 degrees inside. Second, the things that I have sewn lately are duds. I'm so used to showing garments I'm actually proud to wear on this blog that it didn't dawn on me until late this week that I should post the duds too. I've learned to sew mainly through trial and error and I'm still learning. I bring you my most recent example:


Butterick 4973. I intended to make this dress with some black matte jersey. Instead of measuring twice and cutting once, I just cut the size I normally cut for Simplicity patterns. Not such a good idea. As soon as I tried on the bodice I knew I had made a mistake. I would show you, but I don't want to show that much skin on this ol' blog. Instead, I illustrated the problem in the picture above. See that white line across her bodice? That is where my fabric ends, right at the very bottom of my bust. If I were to continue sewing even with a small seam allowance the seam would fall across my bust. I don't think that's flattering for any figure. Lesson learned, measure measure measure!

Am I bummed by the experience? Nah. If I were really excited about the pattern or the fabric, I might be a little upset. Maybe that's why I didn't measure enough. Hmmm, perhaps that's the real lesson, only sew patterns and fabric you're excited about. Something to ponder...

Saturday, October 6, 2007

I got it!

I finally got my ravelry invite! I've only had a chance to browse briefly through the site, but I've already seen something I want to make. Work on my frou frou sweater is slow though and I don't want to pick up another crochet project until I finish the one at hand.


Have a great weekend folks.