And it begins: The Thurlow Sew-Along!

Today's the big day, folks! The day we begin Lladybird's Thurlow Sew-Along!

I was supposed to whip up my muslin last week, but an unexpected evil cold completely incapacitated me, so I was unable to even stand long enough to cut out the pieces. So, I'll be sewing up a wearable muslin for the sew-along, and then I'll take the information I glean for this to make the trousers I had actually intended.

This is where I'm at so far, I have everything cut out and ready to go! First step will be front pockets. I will get to work on them tonight, provided the "frankenstorm" doesn't interfere with our power. I promise to keep you updated with my progress every step of the way :)

Happy stitching!

Check out...

...this Hermès cape!

*swoon*

That is all.

WIP Wednesday - October 24, 2012

Try to deny it all you want, but WINTER IS COMING.

The view from my friend D's place in Calgary (yesterday)

Thankfully, there's no snow in Toronto yet (it's not even Hallowe'en!). However, all week the temps have been going up and down, and it's generally pretty damn cold when I leave my office at the end of the day. Not cold enough for a winter coat just yet, but my hands have been freezing. Of course, this means it's time for some new mitts!

This is the first of two pairs I have planned. These will be fingerless mitts but super long, so if I get around to making a cape my arms will be covered. The next pair will be full on mittens (possibly flip top, I haven't decided yet) for the winter. I'm using yet another gorgeous yarn from my stash of Nerd Girl Yarns, this time it's the True Blood colourway on her gorgeous Heart You base. Dreamily soft merino! Mmmmmmm.

Do you have any projects planned for the colder temps?

Check out more WIPs at Tami's Amis

My current obsession...

...is capes. And to be honest, I have no idea where this came from as even just a few weeks ago I thought they were tacky and impossible to pull off. But now I find myself lusting after them!

I imagine that they probably aren't the warmest option when it comes to cold weather outerwear (I probably wouldn't wear one in the winter), they also probably aren't the easiest thing to wear, but they are seriously cute, and that's what matters, right?

LOVE the zipper on this one!

So, thinking ahead to spring (unless I can settle on one soon) I think I need to make one of these. However, an initial pattern search with the "Big 4" comes up a little flat.

Seriously Vogue? Seriously?

There were a few that I found that were almost what I can see in my head, but I think I'm going to go searching some of the indie designers to see what I can find before I go with something almost right and tweak it.

Simplicity 2285 is close, but it needs a GIANT hood

What do you think of capes as outerwear? Impractical or awesome?

No-Sew Mojo

The past week has brought me a serious case of No-Sew Mojo, meaning I've been paralyzed with too many sewing ideas, and unable to start any. So instead, I've been knitting. Then along comes the realization that Hallowe'en is LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AWAY and I don't have a costume! I gotta say, that has driven the No-Sew Mojo away!

Sorry for the crap pic

Can anyone guess what I'm going to be?

What helps you banish your No-Sew Mojo?

100th Post!

OMGallifrey guys! It's my 100th post! AND it's my birthday! Happy birthday to me!!!

If you make/get me this cake I'll be your BFF forever

It seems like I'm all excited about my birthday, but in actual fact, I'm not. I'm not all afeerd of getting older or anything, I'm just not big on celebrating my own birthday (I love other people's birthdays). Or maybe I'm just tired. I've been exhausted all week and doing my best impression of Brittany S. Pierce with über-delicious Pumpkin Spice lattes.

So, what do I have planned for today? Well, I think that I will be working on my cherry dress tonight. You see, I made this dress a couple years ago and discovered that it no longer fits. It's too big! .:happy dance:. I'll be adjusting it so that I can hopefully wear it out this weekend when I go for birthday cocktails with friends. If I can't finish it in time, well, I have another me-made creation I can wear, which hopefully means I'll get some pics of it to share with y'all.

In the meantime, let's have a look at my Olde Timey Tractor dress. This dress is super comfy and it being made of cotton is perfect for warm summery weather, but I feel like quilting cotton and this pattern (Simplicity 2886) just weren't a good match.

This fabric is just a little too stiff for this dress. From the front it looks alright, but from the side the way it hangs makes me look... preggers...

Queen of the Castle!

I think if I made this dress again, I'd definitely use a drapier fabric, as well as modify the neckline a bit. I think that this one, on me anyway, is a little dowdy. Or maybe it was the fabric. Who knows? At any rate, this dress won't last too long in my wardrobe, despite it fitting perfectly when I made it, it's too big now! Hurray for weight loss and a perfect excuse to make shiny new dresses!

WIP Wednesday - October 17, 2012

This week I'm working on another Wooly Wormhead pattern, this time it's Everglade. I've actually knit this pattern before, and was really pleased with the results.

I had tweaked the original so it would be super slouchy but i turns out that yellow is just not my colour. (I don't know what I was thinking). So, I'm making another one, but I'm unsure yet again of my colour choice...

I almost never wear green.... and I'm also wondering if the green is just too obvious with the leaf pattern.

Thoughts?

Check out more WIPs at Tami's Amis

Feeling a little girly

I recently purchsed a few polishes from Rock Star Nails and have been super excited to play with them. All are clear polishes with various glitter and sparkles in them, so it's been super fun lpaying with the layering. After sporting a very bright and in your face look, I decided to go with something a little more subtle, and definitely more girly. I used a light pink opalescent Wet'n'Wild polich that I've had for years (probably more than a decade) and added a single layer of Punk Rock Barbie, and it turned out super fun.

I really like this combination and will definitely be using it again.

Must. Have. This. Dress

For months now, I've been drooling over the Coach Tour dress on ModCloth and have been trying to talk myself into hacking it.

So pretty

I think this would be super cute with a little cardi and tights/boots for winter. I just need to figure out how to do it. Does anyone have any pattern/pattern tweak suggestions?

I ♥ Gingham

Mr. Social and I recently travelled to Portugal and I gotta say, Portugal is totally amazeballs! I loved absolutely everything about it! The people, the scenery, everything! It may just be my new favourite place in the world.

Seriously, how great is this view?

While there, I wore a few me-made garments and *gasp* I actually got some pics of them! (We all know how bad I am at that)

On our first day in Portugal, the weather was perfect, and much warmer than the fall chill we had left behind in Toronto, so it was the perfect opportunity to wear my gingham top.


Mr. Social and I...and my gingham top

I have a couple confessions to make.

I actually made this top (McCall's M5664) last year, but it originally had sleeves and I hated them! So, it sat in the closet unloved and lonely for a year until I decided to rip them off and make it sleeveless.

Also? I love gingham! I have tons of it in my stash. And no real plans for most of it. But I often pull it out and pet it :)

Vasco Da Gama approves of this top

This top is perfect for summer weather. It's light and airy, and one of the few times I think that quilting cotton was a good choice (I've had some hits and misses with quilting cotton for dresses, more on that later). And, about quilting cotton, am I the only one who can't resist it? The prints are so darn cute!

Anyway, this top has had it's last hurrah for the season, and is nestled in the closet for the winter.

Fashion on the Ration Stats!!

Coupons Used: 30 - Coupons Remaining: 36

Projects Completed:
Red Gingham Shirt - 0 coupons
Old Timey Tractor Dress - to be posted soon - 0 coupons
Molly Weasley Dress - to be posted as soon as I get some pics - fabric used from purchase listed below
Leopard Print Top - to be posted as soon as I get some pics - 0 coupons

Items Purchased:
Black and Grey Striped Sweater - 5 Coupons
6.5 metres of cotton fabric - 13 Coupons
Brown Boots - 7 Coupons
Sweater with funky spiky collar - 5 Coupons

Awesome Score:
Brand new Docs given to me by a friend - 0 Coupons

Embarking on yet another adventure/challenge

I can't count how many times I've been browsing clothes in shops and caught myself thinking (or saying aloud) "I can make that". And usually after trying things on and finding them ill fitting or of poor quality, that statement is followed by "I can do a better job too". Occasionally, I do just that. I go home, pull out some fabric, and voila! A few hours/days and lots of scotch and swearing later I have a new garment. Sometimes even a whole outfit. So, this got me thinking, I'm already doing a Fashion on the Ration challenge, why not step it up and go on a RTW fast as well?

I will be joining Linda of Goodbye Valentino and many others in swearing off buying RTW clothing in favour of making our own. We wll be refraining from buying all outerwear, dresses, tops, pants, shorts, sweaters, coats, exercise clothes, jeans, and well, you get the idea. If you' like to join us, click here for info :)

WIP Wednesday - October 10, 2012

This week, I'm working on a hat by one of my favourite hat designers ever, Woolly Wormhead. I've been in love with her designs since I learned how to knit and have knit many over the past few years.

But Woolly is in a bit of a pickle. The artist commune where she lives part of the year is under threat, so to help raise money for lawyer fees and other administrative fees, she is donating all the proceeds from the digital sales of these three patterns to the communal pot.  The patterns are Tangled River¹, Lenina², and Retro Beanie³.

I myself purchased Tangled River and Lenina, and am thinking about getting Retro Beanie as well, I just haven't decided on that one yet. While I think it over, I'm working on Tangled River.

I'm knitting it with some Light Brown Hare March Hare in the colourway Poison Apple #1 that I've had in my stash so long that I can't remember what project I had in mind when I bought it. I love how deep and rich the red is.

Happy Wednesday, darlings!

Check out more WIPs at Tami's Amis!

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1 find it on Ravelry here

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2 find it on Ravelry here

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3 find it on ravelry here

Vacation Nails!

For my trip to Portugal, which was totally faboosh btw, I wanted to have fun and pretty nails, but they needed to last as I'd have no time or supplies to give myself touch ups or a new manicure. I ended up using Gorramit from Nerd Lacquer for the base, as I already knew that it's a long lasting colour. But I wanted a little extra, because, you know, bright yellow with red glitter just isn't flashy enough. So what did I do? I grabbed one of my new polishes from Rock Star Nails and went to town.

I used With Love which is just a clear coat with black, red and white heart shaped glitter through out. I layered that stuff on and voila! Cute, long lasting nails. There wasn't any sign of wear and tear on my nails until the last day of my trip, and since I went with a lighter colour, it wasn't at all noticeable. Success!!

FO Friday - October 5, 2012

Selfish knitting! I feel like my knitting has been all about other people lately. (probably because it has been)

But yay! Something for me! And I lurves it so much!!!

I've finished my yummy and sparkly Sexy Doctor Who scarf! The sparkle was pretty impossible to capture in the pics, but I assure you it's there.

You can kinda see the glint of glitter here

Also? I should really use my actual camera and not the one on my phone to take FO pics. They'd turn out much better I think.

But, YAY! My fall/winter/until I get bored with it scarf is done!

WIP Wednesday - October 3, 2012

Airplane knitting! And of course, a simple and familiar pattern so I don't have to fumble through my carry-on for pattern pages.

I really love these colours and am considering keeping it for my very own...maybe.

Check out more WIPs at Tami's Amis!