Holiday Gifts?

Maybe you are out today braving the US shopping day known as "Black Friday."  Or maybe you're sitting at your computer doing your shopping online to avoid the crowds.  Or maybe you're like me and not doing any shopping but are itching to get into your sewing room and start a new project.  
Mr. Lucky and I have the reached the age where we are doing more downsizing than gift-buying for one another and our immediate friends and family are phasing out or in most cases eliminating gift giving among the adults.  Last weekend my neighborhood garden club had our annual luncheon and we decided the month before to stop a gift exchange and just enjoy the time together.  If I do exchange with a friend or two it is usually something consumable...an edible (I'm a jam making fool) or drinkable treat, or an experience together.  
But sometimes it is nice to share a little something more lasting and here are some of the gifts that I have offered from my house and sewing room. 

These reusable snack bags are so cute and clever.  I gave them to my cousin's daughter last year and she said it was fun and practical for school snacks,
Here's the free tutorial from a generous blogger, Aubrey, who took the time to write up and photograph great step by step directions.  re-usable snack bag  And here are my versions:

Reusable snack bag

I bought the PUL fabric at Joanns's and the quilting fabric is from a Fabric Mart quilt store buy out and year or two ago.  It seemed little girl-y without being childish.
It's not the easiest thing to do to topstitch that PUL fabric but I have teflon foot that made it easier.

This one seemed school snack appropriate

A lovely Japanese cotton print

Since these little stand up bags have that slippery PUL fabric inside, they would also work as a nice thread/scrap bag for a sewing friend.

I've written about this next pattern years ago but it too would be an easy gift to make up in fleece for a friend.  I'm one of those people who is continually chilly so a little wrap is something I have posted in a number of places around my house.  Marsha McClintock created a clever cape like, vest like pattern that I love.Saf T Pockets Pattern 2011  Take a little more than 1 1/2 yards of fleece and in five minutes you have a lightweight but cozy little gift.  I donated one to my church auction in Florida and it was popular with the winner for a lightweight winter topper and in summer air-conditioning.  My first versions were in fabrics that I had to bind but my latest is from a Fabric Mart fleece sale last winter...

my first vest/cape post
dressier cape/vest version

Last holiday gift idea for this post came from Rhonda's great post about a Spoonflower tea towel offer.  tea towels for Christmas  I'm not going to show the full collection of what I bought at this great on-line sale but will show you the two that I am keeping in my house....

Can you see the sewing machine....?

Here's hoping your gift making has gone smoothly and you get to enjoy family, friends and the changing of the seasons where you live.   

"Am I Blue?"

Yes, I am blue in every sense of the word.  In the US that means I am a progressive liberal and it also means that the recent election results have made me blue and disgusted.  I won't say much more about politics since others have done so in very eloquent ways but I am working on mending my broken heart first and then continuing to work on mending the world one person, one interaction, one step, one protest  and one vote at a time.   
When the presidential election was over, my immediate consolation came in the form of three days at a sewing workshop with Sarah Veblen and more than a half dozen of other creative, encouraging, supportive, funny, always eager to learn women.  Somewhat ironic to say the least.  But it was the very best solution for my immediate pain and I focused my attention on fitting several new garments, discussing fabric choices with Sarah for some upcoming projects and most importantly starting to use my TNT patterns for new designs.  You'll be seeing the results in upcoming posts.  For now, here are two projects I have not yet blogged about, both from patterns that Sarah fit on me in August.
This sheath dress is a very old Burda pattern, #3247,...so old that the notions include a recommendation for shoulder pads.  But as Sarah and I did the fitting in August we could both tell that the pattern had good bones...a side dart, waist darts front and back and a slightly tapered hem.  Here's the first version in a print ponte from Fabric Mart.  I like the print but the fabric is already pilling so it won't be a long term garment in my closet.  I selected it to wear with this royal blue RTW cardigan and am quite happy with how it looks as an outfit.

Burda 3247

Burda 3247 as I will wear in in real life

I made the dress in time for a wonderful family anniversary party in mid-October.  My mother's younger brother and my aunt have been married for fifty years....and I was in the wedding back in 1965.  I was only fifteen years old at the time but look 35 in that teased hair (what we called "French curls in New Jersey.)  With high heels, my full 5' 8 3/4" height and Marge Simpson hairdo I tower over the rest of the bridal party.

My cousins and other uncles and my brother all gathered from around the country for the anniversary weekend and it was so wonderful to get together for a happy occasion.  

Since the election I am regrouping and part of that meant spending time in the sewing room making a top to wear for Thanksgiving with family again tomorrow and we don't necessarily share the same political beliefs. But as my minister has reminded our congregation for many years, we don't have to think alike to love alike.  So I will go and share that spirit of love but also with my own inside joke.

I pulled out a lovely heavy rayon paisley print from my resource center, a dark and dusty blue-grey-black.  It is soft and casual and comfy but I needed some details to make it feel more special.  The pattern is an easy tunic top, a new favorite, McCalls 7357, McCalls 7357 . 

McCalls 7357

I used black cotton lace fabric to add slot seams in two of the three sleeve seams.  

1 3/4" lace strip pinned on one sleeve seam

I cut 1 3/4 inch strips of the lace then pressed the blouse seams under 3/4 inches, not the usual 5/8, on both sides of the seam.  That means there is a 1/4" gap on that seam.  I pinned the strip in place matching the cut edges then topstitched it place. 

It's a subtle detail but I like knowing it is there.  I also put a small piece of lace behind the front curved neckline and wrapped the sleeve binding with the lace as well.  Yes, I am blue but it is a blue I am proud of in every sense of the word.
And my contribution to the Thanksgiving feast tomorrow....Maryland blue crab dip.  I couldn't resist....

And if you don't know the song, here's the Linda Rondstadt version I listened to on a cassettte tape in the '80s.

 No matter what your mood or color is, I hope you too find renewal and inspiration in your sewing room.

Eco-Dyeing Party

Do you get as happy and as excited as I do when you meet a very creative person for the first time?  That's how I was about meeting Carole at a fall sewing retreat last year.  She was a relatively new member to a Maryland wearable art group and I immediately loved her creative aesthetic and thoughtful approach to sewing/creating.  She shared that one of the things that interested her was eco-dyeing and a big inspiration was a woman from Australia, India Flint.  India Flint  
Now, dyeing fabric has never interested me, mostly because I don't have a decent work space for using chemicals and dyes.  But when I got the India Flint book,   Eco Colour  I saw that this dyeing was rather more "natural" and relied upon more common ingredients for the dyeing and for the mordants.  I was even more excited when Carole offered to show us how to do eco-dyeing at her home/studio.  What a spectacularly fun day and I love the result

Eco Dyeing silk scarves

Eco dyeing relies upon leaves, flowers and organic materials which are used to dye fabric chiefly by wrapping them into tight bundles, leaving them to "cook" in hot water and a mordant then unveiling them in their colorful and surprising splendor.  Certainly there are prescribed formulae if someone wants to produce a predictable outcome, say for dyeing wool for a project.  But I love the totally surprising but always organic look of random arrangements of materials.  One wise member of our group did remind us to keep careful notes for each result since the combination of fabric, plant materials and mordants is almost unlimited.  
Here's what our fun day looked like:

My scarf unwrapped and hanging to dry

I went out into my garden that morning and clipped leaves and ferns and flowers to take to the session.  I added Trader Joe's eucalyptus leaves since we were told they are a good consistent plant for print effects.  We used silk scarf "blanks" from Dharma Trading since silk is one of the easiest natural fibers to accept a dye.  You can use rayon as well and cotton or wool but they would require some preparation beforehand.  
We wet our scarves with water then laid out the leaves, flower petals, berries, and stems in organized or random ways.  For denser colors and patterns you do want to lay them closely together since this is chiefly a transfer process.  
We folded the silk upon itself and tightly wound it around a stick, tying it with string to keep the plant material in close contact with the silk scarf.  We placed them in pots of hot water.  The mordant....what makes the dye transfer and stay in place in the silk....was sometimes the metal of the pot (mine was in a cast iron pot) or sometimes rusty items like old nails and screws or perhaps the addition of alum or copper pennies/pipe.  The fibers need a mineral in order for the plant dye to "take."

I enjoyed my day and first attempt at eco dyeing so much that I am offering it as an activity for my church auction next month.  Next fall four people can come to my house and yard to pick the materials from the garden.  I will supply the silk scarf blanks and we will do the same as Carole did for us...have fun sharing a creative activity with an organic, nature-inspired surprise at the conclusion.  Thanks to Carole for introducing me to another designing enterprise and to you dear readers and fellow bloggers for joining in the journey.

Fabric, Fun and Friends

Since this blog is ostensibly about my sewing adventures I will start with what interests you the most, sweet readers.  Did she go to that Colorado fabric store?  Did she buy any fabric?  What is she going to do with it?

Oh, so many questions.  Yes, when Mr. Lucky and I headed west to Colorado ten days ago I had added Elfriede's Fine Fabrics  Elfriede's  to our travel itinerary, particularly once Grace at badmomgoodmom blog enabled me offered to meet up in person.  I'm honored that someone so skilled and learned would even read my blog much less offer to help me select fabric from this wonderful emporium.  

So that was settled, we were heading out to Colorado to reacquaint ourselves with Mr. Lucky's family, take some local walks in town, meet up for more adventurous hikes with Maryland friends in the spectacular Rocky Mountain National Park and yes, add to my fabric resource center.

Grace, Elfriede, Jane

 The fabrics:

 On the left is a lightweight wool loosely woven knit.  No, I have no idea but it is just spectacular and my real splurge.  

 Not a wonderful cell phone pic on my dress form but I am thinking cozy jacket wrap. The middle burgundy/merlot is an Eileen Fisher ponte.  Wonderful drape and I am thinking maybe a bottom piece but it too would be gorgeous as a flowing jacket.  (Don't forget, Elfriede has great mail order as well and these pontes are on her site.)

The next piece was my first choice and if I were limited would have been my only purchase.  It is a rayon knit in my mid to fair colors, with that touch of black, and I think the abstract print looks like mountains so it will be a great souvenir garment in the future.

The two fabrics on the left were remnants I just could not resist, a yard and quarter of the soft wool and less than two of another rayon knit.  

I'm thinking shawl collared vest from the wool

and a very versatile knit top that would be a wonderful travel garment to coordinate with many others.

That concludes the sewing portion of our action packed seven day trip.  Mr. Lucky and I did two 10k walks through the University of Denver campus and neighborhoods and then thru the small town of Arvada which is becoming a bit trendier as the downtown is updated and the light rail is moving out there.  We find these great walks through the website for the local Volksmarch club. 
Volksmarches are mapped out by clubs all over the world and are a wonderful way to actively explore a town or natural area.  You look up the public "start point," a hotel or eating establishment or in this case, a local gym.  The Volksmarch Club leaves a registration box and you can pick up a map.  No schedule or racing but it does mean you are parked in a safe area and will be on a circular walk that gets you back to the start point.  If you really get into it, you can do the record keeping and earn pins and awards for mileage and quantity of walks you take.  We stopped that process years ago (reocrdkeeping of any kind is not our forte) and just enjoy knowing that we will always be an interesting place and be able to find our way back.  In the US, it's ava.org or internationally ivv-web.org
After the lovely fabric and blogging friend diversion in Boulder, Mr. Lucky and I headed to Estes Park to meet up with Maryland friends just completing 5 1/2 weeks on an RV trip seeing ten western national parks.  What a true delight to catch up with them in a gorgeous place and hear about their adventures on the trip of a lifetime.  The weather turned cold overnight and there was snow up on the mountaintops the next morning.  At their advice (perfect advice, it turned out) we got an early start into the park and onto a trail for our first hike of the day, up Deer Mountain, about a 1000 foot ascent with each view becoming more beautiful.  Wow is such a small word for such majestic sights.  

Aspen trees just starting to peak in the fall

Summit of Deer Mountain video

More hikes....marked with sewing pins...

more scenery....

Wildlife...elk rutting time...

The bicyclist did wisely move behind a car as the bull elk was bellowing for the rest of his harem.

I even had the very special experience of catching up with a friend from more than thirty years ago when we were both single career gals with heavy travel schedules.  We haven't seen each other or spoken directly in more than 20 years but when we got together on our last evening in town, the decades melted away and it was as if we had just met up yesterday.  Isn't that the most wonderful thing when that happens!

Still fun and crazy after all these years

If you stayed with me all through this long travel tale, you get to see another sewing surprise.  When we were looking at the Rocky Mountain National Park newspaper of events and hike information, I saw a blurb for a quilt show.  Yes, there is a beautifully curated small 13 quilt show making the rounds of the US national parks as another part of their centennial celebration this year.  Just so happened the the visitor center we stopped at had the display and I was able to capture the shot of the quilt designed for this particular park before my camera battery ran out.  The display is traveling to other parks this year so check your closest location if you would like to see more of them.  NPS Centennial Quilts

Now it's time for me to get into my own sewing room and finish a dress I will be wearing this weekend for a  family gathering.  Here's hoping you are enjoying adventures in or out of your sewing space.