SWAP Diary Mar 10 2009

Awards and Recommendations



I have been nominated for the Sisterhood Award, first by Linda and also by Kim. Thanks so much, ladies! I want to take some time to nominate some deserving folks who haven't received the award yet and that will take more time than I have right now. Look for them in the future.

I also need to thank Elizabeth J., a reader of the Australian sewing magazine Stitches who wrote to the magazine and recommended my blog as well as those of Tany, Shannon and Gretchen. We were all included in the regular "Internet Sites" feature of Vol 16, No 11 issue, complete with pictures and a short write up. I’ll tell you it gave me a heart fluttering shock to be reading my new issue of Stitches’ and come across that. The noise I uttered made my husband, who was calmly reading the newspaper nearby, think I needed medical attention. No, just terrifically and pleasantly surprised. Thanks Elizabeth!

SWAP Update

On the SWAP sewing front; I have completed another top and bottom. The bottom is a flared calf length skirt with 8 panels. It is made out of a brown twill woven polyester fabric.Here is what the drafting instructions look like. The picture in the magazine wasn't good enough to post.

It has the flare and swirl I was looking for. I wanted to wear it out to a play with the Missoni knit top from the previous post, so I sewed it up quickly with very cursory measurement checks and no fitting. My diet and exercise must be working. The skirt is very loose in the waist and hips. I need to go back and sew slightly larger seam allowances on each panel to make it more fitted.

The top is a deep V neck T-shirt with a neck band and modesty panel. The drafting instructions were in the 10-08 issue of Lady Boutique.It is made of rayon/lycra knit purchased from Lucys Fabrics. This website is a good source for rayon/lycra knits at very reasonable prices. Though their new web site is not loading on my computer very well. Hope they get that fixed.

The style appealed to me because it was a interesting variation on a basic V neck T-shirt pattern and it was made in a striped print similar to my fabric.

I have one bottom and the jacket to complete. The bottom is a pair of brown jeans. I can't decide whether to make a fitted straight leg jean or a looser trouser type jean. The first will require more fitting efforts. As to the jacket, do you remember that foot of snow in last week’s picture? Well, the weather flopped back to the other extreme this week, it was 83 degrees yesterday. I am not real motivated to make a lined wool jacket. I want to pull out my spring and summer fabrics and make something for warm weather.