Dress + Cardigan: Confessions

I am (a little too) far ahead in the dress sewing part of my Dress + Cardigan Project.   I am nervous that I will somehow lose track of what I have sewn and when, and so I have put together a tidy little system, as follows:

I cut out swatches of the fabric used to identify the dresses.  I worked on CorelDraw making these darling little sticker labels with perfectly aligned descriptors and lines that mimic a 3 by 5 card.  They are little masterpieces, yes?  Yes.

Now, lest you feel a twinge of inadequacy due to my mastery of organization, listen up:  The sticker paper has lost its sticky - might be due to its creation dating back to the dark ages.

It is after 2:00 and I am still in my pajamas.  The dishes are still waiting to be washed.  I had other goals for this day that made way more sense.

And so I am quickly re-evaluating and making a panicky to-do list of shame, that includes suitable clothing, dishes, sweater math, a delicious supper plan that makes me look like SuperMom,

... and reprinting those darling labels onto cardstock and sewing them onto the swatches!

Dress + Cardigan: Installment 3

It seems smock lovers are coming out of hiding these days, confessing their adoration for the smock's simple and timeless styling, its versatility and charm.  And let's face it, a smock is some-kind-of wearable.

Dress no.3 was cut from an inexpensive quilter's cotton using New Look 6871.  I lengthened the body, omitted the notch in the yoke, and added a little more fullness at the gathers.  I also chose to narrow the sleeves and finish them with a fixed band instead of elastic.

My Joan Fuller cardigan is complete, and the pattern will go out for a quick testing next week.  At 16 stitches per inch, this sweater knits up swiftly!

I do believe I am getting closer to the stuff I can wear on an everyday basis - to the post office, the grocery, out to school functions.  This outfit will be completed with a vintage pin, a scarf, cheerful socks and a new pair of Lime Lites (the carrot at the end of my yardstick).

Why Lime Lites?  New England Footwear, the company that makes them, is local to me and special to me. Their mission is to bring shoe manufacture back to New England as soon as humanly possible. Also, the technology of the shoe is very thoughtful.  The grippy teeth on the sole are soft; they absorb the bumps in terrain so one's feet don't have to.

Field Trip

On February 13th my Mom and my Sister and I hatched a plan to go to Patternworks and Keepsake Quilting, and then out for lunch.  Patternworks and Keepsake are just the right distance from my house: close enough for a fun jaunt, far enough for a special outing (and far enough that I am not there twice a week impulsively purchasing things I didn't know I needed).

I ordered some of Patternworks Bretton yarn for a sweater for my daughter, a lovely eggplant she picked out.  We'll be making something with an open front and maybe a rolled collar, suitable for a sophisticated college student.

I am not a shopper.  Until I'm in a fabric store.  I made it out of Keepsake with just a few darling fat quarters, but also with dreams of going back to search out dreamy fabrics for my dresses.  

Surely I will end up there soon for red fabric to go with my latest sweater, named Joan Fuller:

And I know where I'll be next February 13th, and with whom: I am certain this was the perfect way to spend the day.

Oh, and I had a turkey Reuben and bottomless coffee, looking out at our beloved lake. Delish.