Ghosts of sewing past

So yesterday Sis and I celebrated her Bastille Day birthday with a slap-up lunch at the art museum, followed by a prowl through Pioneer Square shops.  I wore this rayon crepe beauty (well okay it looks like a shapeless bag in the picture) which I had hastily finished only yesterday morning. 

And that put me in mind of sewing when I was in college. Sewing back then was a one day (and sometimes half the night) marathon to get the damn thing finished so I could wear it the next day.  Who cares what it looks like inside (aside from Grandma Sally, and like she counts), or if your hemming stitches are so big you could catch your toe in them.  In fact safety pins work just as well!  Anyway, here's a real piece of slapdash stitching from about 1970.  I loved the pattern with its six tucks instead of darts.

And I loved the fabric, some strange totally synthetic something with a crepe weave.

But look at the inside, with its crappy six inch hem!  I'm sure I just slapped it in there, telling myself I would fix it later.  As in never.  Certainly not in the last forty years!

And then there's this.  I remember sewing it in the hot days of August 1970, with clouds of synthetic dust wafting up every time I cut into the fabric.  It had shorts to go with it, which got a sneer from the crappy boyfriend of the moment, who informed me his father wouldn't allow his mother to wear "hot pants."  Not allow, fr'crissake.

And this tiny scrap of a thing from 1967 or 1968.  The waist is 22 inches.  And mind you that's the waist of the skirt.  The tiny me that wore it was even smaller.  And it's only 19 inches long. 

And finally, perhaps the sweetest thing I've ever sewn.  Isn't it adorable?  I made it in 1970 to go to see Hair, and I wore it with orange tights.  And short!  It comes only to about mid thigh.  Forty years later it looks as fresh and pretty as the day it was made.  When I pulled it out of the box this morning there was scarcely a crease in it.  That's the miracle of synthetics!  I sewed almost exclusively synthetics back then, in part because they were inexpensive and I was poor.  But also because the Vietnam War made cotton and wool less available, and silk not available at all.

Sis's knitting

Look what Sis made for a co-worker's new baby (plus a hat for baby's older sibling):

They are just beautiful!

And here's what Annie bought yesterday that's just beautiful.

I bought it at Paradise Lodge on Mount Rainier.  Unfortunately I've already lost ownership of it.

A day in Seattle

I'm driving up to Seattle for a fitting class at Nancy's.  But first lunch with Sis.  She has some show-and-tell fabric, plus a pretty cotton (for me!).  Here are some pictures of Sis's latest creation.

It's a seersucker from Mill End in Portland,  Butterick 5300.  And look at these lovely details!

The ribbon is perfect!  I wish I had thought of that!

Later in the day

Oh, crumbs!  The class was cancelled because not enough people signed up.  Oh well, Sis and I had a good lunch at Queen Anne Cafe, followed by a lovely shop at Nancy's.

Sis has been organizing her sewing room.  She loves making labels.

Some pictures from the Taste of Tacoma

On a refrigerator truck:

Outside the necessary facilities:

Annie and David had a lovely time at the Taste.  Annie had grilled salmon atop a salad with pomegranate dressing (perfect with salmon).  David had bacon wrapped tuna bombs.  Lunch was followed by a walk through the rose and Japanese gardens.  Sadly, there were no pretty summer dresses.  Maybe because, typically, the sun never actually came out.

Lovely roll ends from Emma One Sock

I bought a couple of lovely roll ends this morning from Emma One Sock.  Take a look at this gorgeous cotton/silk!

photo courtesy of EOS (http://www.emmaonesock.com/)

And this organic linen:

photo courtesy of EOS (http://www.emmaonesock.com/)

Aren't they beautiful?  Not sure what I'm going to use them for, but it will be something lovely and summery.  I see myself cruising the Greek isles wearing things made from these!

Here's the Conversation Print blouse, just finished (also Emma One Sock).  I'm thinking of wearing it to the Taste of Tacoma tomorrow.

Sis's friend's vest

Sis just finished this vest for a friend.  Here's a picture of the finished product before pockets.

And here's a picture of her beautifully done flat felled seams

Lucky Sis's friend!  Don't we all wish someone would make us lovely presents like this!

Fitting woes

I have been working on the Burda jacket pattern, and it's breaking my heart.  Yesterday I altered the pattern and this morning I sewed the muslin.  Big crappy flop.  The back is too tight, the armholes way too tight, and the darts are about an inch too low.  And there are probably other things wrong that I haven't even discovered yet.  It's enough to make you stop sewing, forever!  Well, it really just needs more work, which I'm not in the mood for.  Fortunately, I have another project going.  I bought a gorgeous silk/cotton print from Emma One Sock.  I'm going to use the Louise Cutting pattern once again, because I know it will fit (!!!) and because the simple uncomplicated cut will show off the print beautifully.

Altering the Burda pattern, take one: