I'm going to be a designer...Kind of

This is a really bad picture, but this is the book that I'm going to be working my way through. I've been reading it a little bit every night and I really like how the author approaches garment construction. The first project is a simple skirt, then there are two more skirts after it that apply the techniques from the first skirt, and adding on a bit of difficulty, then it does three tops. I really can't wait to get started, but my sewing room needs major decluttering and organizing before I start. I need an organization fairy!

Hopefully I can get started in the next couple of weeks and will certainly report my progress here.

I seem to be restarting everything

After being in a funk for a year and a half or so I seem to be starting back a bunch of my favorite things. I've restarted this blog and started sewing again.  Today I went to my local SCA group's fighter practice for the first time in a couple years AND took my drop spindle and did some spinning.  It was a good day.  Normally I am 14th century Welsh, but I felt like wearing my Viking today. With the exception of the amber and my brooches I made everything I had on. I even spun the flax for the thread to string my lamp work treasure necklace.  That feels really good.

This was a good weekend. I dread going back to work tomorrow.  I want more weekend!

More skirt

This is me wearing the skirt.

Trying this here blogging thing again.

I've not blogged in ages, and I lost my domain so I thought I'd try back here again. It just felt like sometimes I was talking to thin air, so I just quit. I have a lot of things going on and I'd like to write about them, if I can' summon up the time. I still knit (sometimes), weave (not often enough) and sew (not as much as I want).

So, here I am!

I am tired of my old wardrobe and hoping that I'll get a teaching job for this fall **fingers crossed** so I decided that I'd just make me some new clothes. I found this ADORABLE fabric at WalMart (of all places) and just had to have it. It's chocolate brown with teal print and the print is skulls, crossbones and anchors, but if you only glance at it, it looks almost argyle like.

I sat down last night with no pattern and whipped up this skirt.

I just cut two widths of the fabric and cut them 24 inches long. I even added pockets that I had to draft since I didn't have a pattern. I used 1.5" elastic in the waist. I have some other cute fabrics that I'd like make more skirts out of. This one was uber simple, and very comfy (I wore it to work today!)

I have ordered a book about designing your own clothes patterns since I'd like to make things that fit me better than things I can buy. I also want to make my own tshirts, elbow length ones to cover my sleeve tattoo for work. It gets really hot here in the summer wearing a shrug or a cardigan all the time. :(  When the book comes, I'll give it a thorough once over and a review, and may even try to work through some of the projects in the book here on the blog. Maybe that will gain some interest. 

Getting off the Ground

I have taken better pics of my handwoven scarves. I think this shows them off just a bit better. The other pics were taken with my iPhone camera, and while it's good, sometimes it doesn't show things off in the best light.

(this will be a bit picture heavy)

This is the two scarves together. The green one is approximately 80 inches long, not including the fringe, which is about 6 inches long on each end.

It is woven from a KnitPicks Donegal yarn that was handdyed by a friend of mine. The warp and weft were the same yarns, but dyed slightly different colors.

The reddish scarf is about 86 inches long not including the 4" long fringe on each end. The warp for this scarf is Opal Memories sock yarn and the weft is KnitPicks Risata. The Risata has an elastic content so it has a slight bit of stretch from side to side.


Here are some closeups of the scarves so you can see the weave better.

I love the twisted fringe finish on the scarves. It was kind of a pain to make, but my mom and I bought a Le Clerc Fringe Twister and that sped things up quite a bit!

Please stay tuned for an announcement about a team up with me and another indie designer. This ought to be fun.