That V-neck is Scandalous

I'm BAAAACK!!
And that's fairly ridiculous. Anyway, I survived finals, did aces in my training class at work, and am now settling into a calm schedule. Mostly calm. Let's be serious. I'm never calm.
I picked up knitting over the last week. I'm making a sweater now.

I doubt I'll ever look this blase.

 It's happening in a tan wool for the waistband, collar edge, and armbands, with a teal green for the body. I will eventually have to make skirts to wear with it. Seriously, who needs matching clothes?

We sent out our first batch of invitations yesterday. I witnessed a lady almost throw punches because there were no puppy stamps. I mean, I understand, puppies are cute. But puppy stamps? Lady, get your priorities straight. I just looked at the old post office boxes and pretended everyone had class. That was harder than it sounds.

what this all comes down to is that I'm going to try to keep up with this blog -thing, and make rambly posts about sewing, knitting and the crazy people I come across. I'm back, and I'm going to try to stay.




 

I promise I'll come back! It's finals week, and after that I'll have time. Two semesters of time, to be exact.
Yours always
C

Do we still warn people when there's a lot of pictures in a post?

Yes, I'm a bad blogger...blah blah, self flagellation, blah.


But really, I've been busy. With this (which is homework and a darn cozy fire, if you can't tell)

And this fuzzy creature of doom,

The fluff is sometimes too much to handle.

And spending as much time as I can with this handsome fella. I mean, really, how can you go wrong?!

My hubsby! All mine!

I digress, though. So, despite being the "bad bad blogger", I'm back. With more sewing adventures. I mean, wow, the last dress I was working on ("Let's get it done for Thanksgiving! I have a whole week!" she chirped) is in the final stages of completion, and my goodness if it isn't orange. Ok, coral orange. But awfully orange. I love it. with a navy cardigan and belt, perfection. I'm a little worried, though, because right now it looks nothing like the pattern envelope. 

Please forgive the pile of laundry, instead, admire the drapes!

That's the dress, and I love it, it's making me super happy. But the envelope looks more...done.

Definitely more structure than I've got going on. I blame Pearl and her giant neck. She's such a fat cow some days.

So that's the news from the top of the Stoneleigh. (my building has the single coolest name, ever) I'll be back at a more reasonable hour to share the great pattern bargain of the month, and discuss wearing black for my own wedding!

It's Easier Here

This isn't my current city, but it's pretty darn close.

You know, I never though of the crafts that I do as "art". Oh, sure, they're a type of folk-art, but I never thought of it as actual art. I thought it was a bit whole big pile of pretentious when people called their crochet projects "wearable art". It's not art when you're describing it like that. Art has components that don't carry their own weight. Art is something that has value beyond face value. A sweater that's been cannibalized to look like something my 4 year old niece made during craft time isn't art. It has no value beyond the hubris of the maker.

I originally come from a city where it's hard to do art. Oddly enough, this city has a reputation as an arty and maybe a little bohemian place. But you can't do art for the sake of itself. You have to be part of a clique, or you have to be trying to sell whatever it is you make. I can't tell you the number of times that I was asked if I was going to turn my sewing into a business. I felt so pressured to make money off something I loved. I made business cards. I made a Facebook page. And then I moved.

Now I live in a much smaller city, with no reputation for art. It has a reputation for hicks but definitely not art. It's a place where, when people hear that I sew, they comment on how cool that is, and then they leave it alone. They don't ask if I'm going to start a business, they don't ask if I'd make something for them, none of it. This place may not have a reputation for art, but it's so conducive to real art. Things that have a value outside my hubris. Things that make people think. I'm not the only person doing art here. We're in the woodwork, but we're here. I'm proud to be part of it.

As a wise woman once said, "Eff this, where's my camera? I'm going to blog!"

It looks so much better when I'm the one filling it out

I finished the skirt. I really did. Took me a bit longer than expected, and I'm still not sure about the facing, but it's done, it's wearable. In fact, I've worn it to work. Twice. Yeah.










Pardon the state of undress that Pearl is in. She's been busy lately holding up a man's shirt that I'm repurposing into an awesome blouse for me.

Men used to be tiny. That or I'm frickin' huge.

It's going to be amazing. I'm going to be the envy of the bowling league. If we had a bowling league.









I guess the office will just look at me like I'm some crazy Mennonite in heels and mid-century prints.
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I've made other things, too! I had this great print cotton jersey. I've never sewed with knits before. I think I'm in love. It went together like a dream. Three nights of mad sewing and I had a full on dress.

Check out the cleavage baring properties of this baby! Yowza!

This it it:
\

Self-covered Buttons! 

Rounded collar and print.

 

My homework suffered, but I have pretty new clothes. Except, now I have to slave away at a research paper instead of turning cotton crepe into a fluffy blouse. Life isn't fair.

Illness has laid me low!

A week ago I started out a project.


With this:

And this:

But it's still not done! Eight gores, one zip, a facing, and a hem, and it's still not done. In fact, it's looked like this...

...for most of the last three days, while I've sat and convalesced.

 I'm disappointed in my immune system.

You see, I've gotten a new job in the corporate world. My last job required a uniform, so I didn't need a good, professional wardrobe. Since I got the news about the new job a month ago it's been a scramble to get my clothes in order. Right now I'm heavy on cotton day dresses and flannel skirts, but light on crepe blouses and business-like skirts. So mad sewing has occurred, and now I have enough to get me through the first month and plenty of fabric to make things to get me through the rest of it.

I won't lie, I like the pressure.

"OH! You look like "Mad Men"!

Not that I have any problem with Mad Men. But you're twenty years too late, honey. The ones who tell us we look like I Love Lucy are closer to the mark, but I'd rather hear Rita Hayworth, personally.



 The other night we were taking a walk on the other side of the river, and we stopped outside the old Woolworth's here in town to talk to a friend of the Mister's. It's been converted into a music venue, but still has the tiled name by the front door. One of the musicians who was playing that night told us we looked just like we'd stepped out of the thirties. I high-fived him, and was pleased that finally, someone got the era right.



All this to say, the vintage lifestyle is fun, and the response is always super positive. But seriously, no one knows a darn thing about history anymore.