Not a Size Eleven

Oooh la la! Found these at the thrift shop. Love the color. Love the style. Loved the price.

Wish I could wear them! These little gems are going to find a spot in my life...somewhere!

From Bedclothes to Bed Clothes

Of all things, PAJAMAS have been one of my biggest temptations during my Wardrobe Refashion pledges. I think that's because my own nightgowns and pajamas are starting to look a little tired, and all the new PJs look so fresh and crisp in the stores. I've managed to resist temptation by sewing some new nightwear, but I wanted something new for the summer.

None of the current nightie patterns were quite what I wanted, so I was thrilled to find this vintage 1968 pattern at the thrift shop for fifty cents! It had been cut, but that was the era before multi-sized patterns, so it was okay.

I decided to make the knee-length version. Looks a little like Amy Butler's Anna tunic, doesn't it?




There were several fabrics in my stash that I considered for this project, but I finally settled on a blue and green floral sheet I'd thrifted a few months ago. It's all soft and broken in, so perfect for sleepwear. Other refashioners have used sheets for skirts, dresses, etc. I'm still worried that everyone will point and scream "SHEET!", so this was a good compromise for me!

In keeping with the thrifted theme, I rooted out some blue hem tape my mom had given me. Like how the price was written right on it? The outer layer was also kind of filthy, but there was enough clean tape under there to cut down into bias tape to finish the armholes.











What? You've never seen someone standing in the middle of the yard in their nightgown? Holding a pillow and having their picture taken?

Happens all the time around here.









As I was sewing this, I was struck by the "vintage-ness" of the directions. Things they would spell out nowadays must have been common knowledge back then. The directions also included a TON of hand sewing. Parts of it I did as instructed, other parts I whacked out on the machine.

I also tried the blind hem stitch on my machine for the first time. Let me tell you, that is pretty slick! I'm not sure I'm adept enough to use it on real clothes, yet, but it has potential!







In the back, they left this huge, huge opening. It didn't take me long to figure out I wasn't going to need it, so I sewed it up completely and just stitched the buttons on for show. I mean, really. No one's head is that big!

The Art of Travel

The book I held back from my last book post is called The Art of Travel by Alain De Botton. I have a little more to say about it than usual, so it's getting its own post...or maybe posts. I heard about this book in another book, My Mercedes is Not for Sale, where the author describes De Botton's chapter about the exotic in travel.

Now, I am all for exotic. If I could choose to go anywhere in the world, I would jump on something like India or Morocco--somewhere completely different from what I'm used to. Our budget and circumstances, however, are better suited to more conventional destinations such as Ireland and Spain, places I'd never had the slightest inclination to visit, because they just weren't different enough! If I was going to go to the trouble of spending hours on a plane and hundreds of dollars, I wanted to go somewhere that would pack a wallop.

And then Gerry's dad returned from his own holiday in Ireland and handed Gerry a fistful of euro coins at the airport. Gerry brought it home and showed it to me, and I was fascinated. Something about seeing those coins resonated with me. I might not see camels in Ireland. I wouldn't see any spice markets at open air bazaars. But there would be differences. Little differences.

Those little differences are what we revel in on our visits to Ireland. (Photos I've shared before.) We haven't seen the Book of Kells or the Hill of Tara. But we've been to the Irish version of Home Depot! We bring back pictures of everyday things that we just don't have here. Pay and display parking? What a great idea! Supermarket trolleys (trolleys!) that you have to unhook by inserting a Euro. Not something you see much of here in the States. (And you can score a few Euros if you happen to be in a supermarket parking lot on a rainy day.)




















Cars look different. Houses look different. There are parsnips, everywhere.

And while we're in the supermarket, how about the ubiquitous jamon in Spain or the vast piles of Christmas goodies on offer in Ireland?




















A tiny little washing machine, a "Bring Centre" for recycling, a giant jar of Nutella, or a department store sign--we are charmed by the differences we see when we travel. So what does this have to do with the book? From chapter three:

In the more fugitive, trivial association of the word exotic, the charm of a foreign place arises from the simple idea of novelty and change--from finding camels where at home there are horses, for example, or unadorned apartment buildings where at home there are pillared ones. But there may be a more profound pleasure as well: we may value foreign elements not only because they are new but because they seem to accord more faithfully with our identity and commitments than anything our homeland can provide.

Interesting, isn't it?

Eh.

There were no good pattern sales the other day, and I wanted something new, so I had a foray through the New Look book. I picked out number 6803, thinking I'd give another dress a try. Something easier and quicker than the last one! The one that caught my eye was view B, with the pleated neckline and cap sleeves. I also liked the look of the belt.

Of course, once I got home and read the reviews on Pattern Review, I started to have second thoughts, as people weren't exactly turning cartwheels over the fit. Oh well, what do you expect from a dress you pull on over your head? I decided to be inspired by Ec's review and give it a try.

Still proceeding cautiously, I pulled out some fabric I'd had second thoughts about to make a muslin. Originally, this fabric was meant for a Duro-style dress, which was all the rage on the Dress A Day blog a few years back. Problem was, I didn't know how to sew then, so I never made it. Then, by the time I could sew, I came to my senses and realized that would be a horrible mess! I used some of the fabric for a skirt, but the rest has been sitting here leering at me for years.

So, the dress. It's okay. Unlike most of the Pattern Reviewers, it isn't the fit that bothers me. Yeah, it's shapeless without the belt, but that's to be expected. My problem is with the sleeves. I think cap sleeves are the least flattering thing ever, and I knew that, but I went ahead with them anyway. Blech.

I asked my husband to take some pictures without the belt as well, and it was so funny--he kept saying, "You're not going to like these." He's right. I'll be a sport and show them to you anyway!




















I did like the idea of pockets, but I can't use them once I put on the belt. If I ever make this again, I'll either leave the pockets out or add a little length to the top. I also wonder about sewing the pleats at the neckline down. Would that look completely weird or might it help with the poufing? Hmm.

Happy Day

I hope all of you had a lovely 4th of July, whether it was

FOURTH of JULY!

as in Independence Day

or just Saturday, July 4th.

This was my first corn of the season, and it was wonderful.

Book 'Em

Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip-Confessions of a Cynical Waiter by Steve Dublanica- Yet another book with an Anthony Bourdain blurb on the cover! I mostly enjoyed this book, with the exception of the parts where he talked about writing the book. A part of me kept thinking, "Uh, yeah, we KNOW." Not bad, though. He seems like a good guy.

Final Truth by Mariah Stewart- Yep, Mariah Stewart pops up again. This one was a little grisly maybe, and not my favorite of the quartet, but it was okay.


The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim-This caught my eye at the library, because it came through as a hold for a friend of mine. I asked her to let me know how it was. She said, "It was good." Not in a "you-HAVE-TO-read-this" kind of way, but she liked it. I liked it too. Be warned: It isn't packed with action, and it isn't a book you can race through. It's a gentle, even book that's good for a lazy, summer day. Sort of daydreamy.





Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline- My disappointment with her latest book kind of had me questioning what I ever liked about her books, so I went back to one from a few years ago. This was more like it.

Dune Road by Jane Green- Ugh. Last year I was pleasantly surprised by Beach House. This summer I'm sadly disappointed. Pass on this one.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho- I decided to read this because it's required reading for one of the grades at the local high school, and I wanted to see what the kids were in for. My brain must be suffering in my old age, because I could not get into this at all. I trudged through it, but I'm not a fan. Poor kids.


Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie- This is one of my all time favorite book covers, and it's even a cute tiny format, but I'd never read the book. I was always intimidated after reading the inside flap. I expected it to be, well, filled with inscrutable references to Chinese history, and I couldn't have been more wrong. I stayed up a few hours later than I should have to finish this book. My favorite of the bunch.





Killer Cuts: a Dead-End Job Mystery by Elaine Viets- A few parts of this latest installment felt a little awkward, but I was happy to catch up with some old friends at the Coronado Apartments. I think her next dead-end job should be as a cashier in a grocery store...I could offer some insights into that one!

And there was one more that I will post about later, because I have a lot to say!

Who Won ?

Wow! So many responses to the sewing question! It seemed like even more as I was making the little slips for the drawing. The random integer generator started to sound like a good idea somewhere around number thirty.

But then I wouldn't have pictures!

I loved reading your responses. Thank you to everyone for commenting.



One of the most popular sewing elves would be "someone to layout and cut the pattern." I would have to agree there! When all I want to do is GET GOING and see my project take shape, fiddling around with pattern pieces and pins seems like such a drag, or as Diana called it "painful foreplay." Oh, that made me laugh!

Do any of you start sewing before all the pieces are cut out? I do.

Also, Pam, Lynda and Kathryn mentioned not having a lot of space for working. I can SO identify!


"Someone to babysit" is also much in demand. My mom used to put me in my playpen when she wanted to sew, but I don't think playpens are so common anymore.

Lucky for me, I can just shut the door on my particular (cat) baby. I feel a little guilty, but I don't want her eating pins, now do I?





There was also considerable demand for fitters, which I didn't even think about. I just don't do a lot of fitting. I'll add some length here and there, but I'm not really knowledgeable about shoulder adjustments and sway back adjustments and the like. I'm a lazy sewer.




Another thing I forgot about is the dreaded gathering. Hibler House said, "I hate doing any sort of gathering- all those basting stitches, and pulling to meet dots and all that." Good one! I forgot how much I hate that, because I avoid it whenever I can!






And now for the giveaway winner. I drew number fifty two, which turns out to be...

Margaret K!

Margaret, just let me know which prize you'd like and I'll send it off to you soon!

Margaret, by the way, wanted someone to rip out mistakes. Any particular someone, Margaret? Johnny Depp? George Clooney?