Things that backfire

I don't always never get as much sewing done as I planned. That's just the simply truth and I need to own that. So when I looked down at my December sewing stack, I knew I needed to scale back. I quite simply have run out of time to turn out a fancy Christmas party dress for myself if I'm going to continue working on this advent scarf, make pinky a smocked Christmas dress, and pajamas for the kidlets by December 25th. Instead of fancy party dress with a fluffy petticoat, heirloom lace yoke, and possibly some beading, I decided I would do a simple sheath. 

To be honest, I wasn't all that enamored with the pattern when I first laid eyes on it. It's somewhat unremarkable despite the presence of those chevron pleats. But the fabulous thing about being a sewist in the internet age is you can google any pattern and a wealth information floods your sewing starved soul. What looked rather inspiring on the cover can be made into something surprisingly pretty. Judging by the many gorgeous versions of New Look 6067 out there, I was confident I could make a beautiful dress that wouldn't take up much of my time.

It just so happened FabricMart was having an awesome Black Friday sale on a pretty linen jacquard that is close in color to pinky's dress. Yes, I said linen. Yes, it's winter but look at this stuff! Besides, I live in the south.  Having a dress that can be worn all year round is a boon. (The fabric is still available too!)

I picked up the pattern the Saturday after Thanksgiving, standing in line with my 25% off coupon at Joann's and cut out the bodice almost immediately for a tissue fitting. Some patterns leave me feeling like Busty the eight dwarf so I knew I'd probably have to make a tweak here and there but some of the reviews mentioned it was roomy in the bust and I'd hoped to skate by. 

Dress, bra, same concept, same depressing results

NOPE. Denied. Not having it.

Okay, so FBA. I got that. For those of you who don't know, FBA is an acronym for full bust adjustment, aka hacking up a pattern to make it fit the sisters. Leila at Three Dresses has links to quite a few here. They are tedious but not terribly complicated UNLESS YOUR PATTERN LOOKS LIKE THIS!

Bodice piece before altering

Sweet baby jesus in a manger, what did I do? What did I do? So now a simple sheath dress has turned into a massive muslin requiring overhaul of epic proportions. I might have cried, I might have argued with God, I might have tried to convince my cleavage it should take a winter vacation to Florida whilst I slept. But when I returned to the google, these precious, beautiful versions of New Look 6067 taunted me, beckoning me, you can do it, you can FBA. Stop being a wuss.

Ignore the crooked lines. They are simply
proof that being able to sew a straight line
is rather irrelevant to one's ability to sew.

Never one for wussdom (unless it involves the possibility of huge old bugs falling in my hair), I decided to give it a go. The Mahogany Stylist did an FBA on her pattern but I have a long torso and need extra room lengthwise as well as width. So I took a deep breath, traced off a copy of the bodice piece and gave it a shot. 

Don't mind the blur, sorry about that.

Surprisingly, my first inclination was the correct one. I lengthened the bodice first, choosing to cut above the pleats to avoid having to redraw them. Then I slashed the center of each pleat all the way up to the armscye sleeve allowance and spread those pieces (just nod along if you don't sew, I won't judge.) 

Yes, those are my polka dot socks. Hot, amiright?

My first attempt wasn't quite big enough but the technique was sound so I slashed anew and spread a bit more. Then I pinned it all together and tissue fit it. So far, so good. I suspect I might need to add to the waist but as I'm planning to sew up a wearable muslin, I'll work that out then.

Look at the difference!
New pattern piece in white

Simple dress my left butt cheek. I should have known this would happen but can you say it isn't worth it? Check out these versions and tell me this isn't worth my time.

Beck and Lundy's Gray and Yellow

Vacuuming The Lawn's Brown Ponte

Sewmanju's Tessuti Gridlock

There are also a few here at Sewing Pattern Review.

If you're wondering about the advent scarf, I had a minor setback and frogged the whole thing. But I hopped back on that trike like a good girl and now I have days one and two finished. I'll do day three tonight, day four and five tomorrow and be all caught up.

 

I did something!

No, no. I didn't say I finished something. I said I did something. There is a difference. But I digress. What did I do? I started an advent scarf!

No, not that fiasco from last year with all of the repeats and the extras and the slip slip passolasso helps helps. 

I'm doing the Lila and Claudine Advent scarf found here on Ravelry. As I said in my previous post, I adore the idea of an advent scarf. But when I saw more experienced knitters posting about daily sections taking six hours our of their day . . .

I was persuaded, however, by the description. 

We have chosen 20 very easy patterns for you to knit. 

See those pretty bold letters? "very eaaaaaaaaaaasy." But like every craft, my version of simple may not be ravelry's version of simple so how about we just focus on the positive? I finished day one of my advent scarf! 

I'm afraid I must say that one more time:

I finished day one of an advent scarf!! 

I'm gonna covet your prayers that the next 19 days go as smoothly as the very simple, very few repeat section I just finished or that at minimum, I maintain some modicum of concentration on this project.

Wanna see what it looks like so far?

I want to knit all the things now, perhaps while Christopher Walken tells me stories about knitting on location in Vietnam.

I'd forgotten how soothing it is to work some needles with a lovely soft yarn floating through your fingers. It almost makes your forget that your children have been on your nerves all day and the dog is thisclose to being sold to Cruella DeVille if she doesn't stop barking at every car that rolls down your street with the bass cranked up.

Only slightly related but that song from Florida Georgia Line is awful. It's even worse when all you can hear of it is a snippet of the bass line over the sound of a rumbling truck that's being held together by duct tape, running on Milwaukee's Best, and driven by shirtless good old boys who graduated high school in body only.

Focus, Samantha. Focus!

I feel better already.

What day is it?

It's totally December 1, right? RIGHT??

::sigh::

Well, I've recovered my lost work so that's something. 

I think.

Here's a close up shot. As I'm not using circular needles, there's only so much room to spread it out. But I think you can catch the general drift. It looks less impressive this way, I think.

Two more repeats and I'll be finished with Day 1. Maybe I'll have a scarf by Valentine's. 

Dear Advent Scarf,

Posting uncharitable things about an advent scarf goes against the purpose of said advent scarf and thus it will merely be noted that the hot mess is ever a hot mess and will be starting with a fresh spirit come morning.

::sigh::

Oh yeah!

I do have a blog!

My sewing mojo has been non-existent of late. I'd ask for ideas on how to jump start it but my disgusting lack of posts means that there is likely no one reading this. Also, mojo or not, I have to start sewing. It's after Thanksgiving and any sewist, home hobbyist, self made gift giver knows what that means . . . IT'S CHRISTMAS CRAFTING TIME!

Yes indeed.

First up, a wreath. I have all the materials purchased thanks to Black Friday and some awesome Joann's coupons. I'll let you know how it goes. 

It also means it's Advent Scarf Time!

What's Advent Scarf Time?

Well, if as a kid you ever did an advent calender, it's pretty much the same concept except instead of candy or whatever else parents do for these things, you get a newly revealed bit of knitting. In the end, you're supposed to come out with a fantabulous finished scarf, like so:

As made by the very talented mmhiscox on Ravelry.
I love this version. It reminds me of a Nordic fjord.
So very winter, so very Christmas.

I made an attempt the first year I decided I was a knitter and it was truly a hot mess. I went with some really awful scratchy Vanna White crap that I couldn't fathom wrapping around my neck unless I'd been convicted of a crime and sentenced to death by acrylic wrapped in tinsel. After five rows of madness, I switched to some feathery also acrylic nonsense that kept slipping off my aluminum needles and was nearly impossible to see. So I gave up, gave in, gave out, all the things.

Two years later, I think I've come much further as a knitter and am prepared to give it the old college try. As I mentioned earlier, I'm coming into a busy time sewing-wise, forget all the other hustle that comes from the holiday season. I thought it might be nice to have some time set aside every day this month to sit down, take a deep breath, and do some knitting.

If you're interested in joining me, you can find more info here. You can also join the ravelry group here. I'll update daily with the new bit. and as a measure of accountability and an attempt to get back in the blogging habit, I'll be sharing my progress with anyone who might still be reading this thing. If you are joining, leave me a comment or even send me some pictures. I wanna see!!!!

I think I can, I think I can

I'm not sure why the left side looks like a sock but look, LACE!!!!

I only have 842 pattern repeats or something, yanno, time consuming left before I'm done.

As promised

I am a brave, brave soul so be prepared to hold my hand.

I am attempting . . . lace knitting.

It's amazing the things people can do.

Like this gorgeous Estonian shawl.

Lyrical Lace Shawl by Fiddlesticks

I know what you're thinking and hell no, I ain't that brave. My eyes are crossing just thinking about it. I'm going to attempt something much more attainable, like this pretty little Forest Beauty Lace Shawl.

I've had my eye on it for quite a while but I was terrified of the prospect of turning a hank of yarn into a nice little ball of yarn and further terrified of turning a ball of yarn into a never ending hot mess of tangles roaming around my house like a kitty on crack.

weheartit

However, I'm a hobag for a good sale so when my dream yarn came up for cheap, I snatched up a hank of this pretty alpaca/silk blend in a color called Shallows. I loooooove the name as the colors remind me of the beach on Guam where I was baptized.

And here's a picture of it all knitted up.

Sargasso Shawl by Knitpicks

::le sigh::

If I'm lucky, I'll have it all knitted up by Christmas. It will look glorious with the black taffeta and brocade Christmas dress I'm planning. Expect lots of skirt, yards of crinoline underskirt, and perhaps a peek of decolletage.

To my surprise, my husband did not end up having to call the fire department to come cut me out of this stuff using the jars of life. And it didn't take long to ball it up either, only one viewing of one crappy ass kung fu movie set in the Wild Wild West and featuring Geoffrey Rush. Yes, I said Geoffrey Rush. Ugh, this is the crap you end up watching when you have boys.

On the good news front, pete was more than willing to hold my yarn while I balled it up.

He's so useful, that kid. Remind me of that when I'm threatening to sell him.