Still crazy after all these years

October 9, 2023October 9, 2023 ~ Liz A ~ 26 Comments

Yep, I’m still here, all indications to the contrary. And have I mentioned that Paul Simon (he of the song Still Crazy …) has moved into our one-time hometown of Wimberley? I guess he heard we were no longer there 😉

Anyway, I’m overdue for some catching up.

First, the smock project did get completed, but I can’t say how I feel about actually wearing it …

It was intended to be open in front, but the smocking insisted on curling the edges, so I ended up making a pullover. Maybe I’ll warm up to it as the weather cools down.

I also did a quickie project to replace my two shoulder bags made during an India Flint workshop …

Instead of patching, I did a whole cloth construction using that wonderful ikat I bought from FabScrap …

It’s lined with the same cloth, so it will be reversible when it starts to show wear.

As for my absence, let’s just say there’s been a lot of grandkiddo time filling our days in Missouri while the boys’ mom and dad were on a business trip in Maui …

Time went by so fast that we didn’t even get to Ellbee’s for ice cream … so the next trip we’ll have to do a two-fer.

If at first you don’t succeed …

September 3, 2023September 3, 2023 ~ Liz A ~ 19 Comments

Ironically, I decided to document my process of making the cuffs on my smock. Ironic because the first two iterations didn’t go well at all.

I started with the original deep cuff …

which turned out to be too bulky along the edge of the smocking and too thin along the folded end. So I tried making a smaller cuff …

but that turned out so lumpy that I didn’t even bother to take a final picture. In the end, I simply hemmed the existing edge with no cuff at all …

which looks fine, but now the sleeves are a good two inches shorter than they otherwise would have been … and I hate short sleeves! (I know, I know … that last picture looks like the perfect length, but I’m holding the sleeve off my shoulder … so, no … it’s too short).

While pondering what to do about the too-short sleeves, I decided to start a completely new project with a remnant of cotton ikat from FabScrap …

Wanting to use every bit, I decided to try a zero-waste pattern. So I did some reading …

and decided not to risk my first try on the “good stuff,” choosing instead to practice on some plain white cotton cloth that I had on hand. Then I upped the ante by trying to fashion a reversible top. I hemmed all the rectangular pattern pieces with a combination running/back stitch (the infamous Texas Two-Step) and am in the process of whipping everything together …

all done with Deb Lacativa’s wicked-good threads to keep things interesting.

And while so doing, my mind came up with the perfect solution to my smock problem: I’ll cut the sleeves in two, hem the edges, and insert bands of patchwork. Ha! That should do the trick.

Now if I can just figure out how to finish the smock plackets. Hmmmm …

Getting it together

August 29, 2023August 29, 2023 ~ Liz A ~ 19 Comments

The smocking phase is finally done and I’m delighted at how quickly the parts are coming together …

I’ve been using Londonderry 80/3 linen thread to backstitch the seams at about 10 stitches per inch …

I confess to being concerned about how the bulky edge of the smocking would work into the seams, but so far so good …

Which reminds me, these are my new favorite marking pens, which erase with an iron or even a blast with the hair dryer. They make a finer line and glide on more smoothly than the felt-tipped pens I’ve used in the past. And at $17 for a set of 8, they’re reasonably priced …

Of course, in looking them up online, I’m now seeing a lot of lower priced alternatives … please comment below if you’ve had experience with any other brands!

And my post wouldn’t be complete without some grandkid pix …