I finsihed this one today, the 27th before heading to Chestnut lane. Yay for finishing things! It kind of blows me away that I have been working on this one for this long. It really is a very simple stitch. Without further adieu..

Front

Back




I started a project last night so I would have something to stitch when Michele was here working. The lord's prayer is for her you see. Plus I had to stay up and wait for the kids that were spending the night actually went to sleep. I had a craptacular day because of them. I really do find most of my family despicable... But that's not the point. I stitched this evening out of pain and irritation. So on the bright side I think I got a lot done. =) This was a birthday gift from a fellow stitcher ladyvidel.

( Pictures )

Okay so I finally got around to getting busy on my sewing. I have read the instructions for the skirts. One of them I have to resize before I cut it out. I am starting with the one I don't need to resize. I went shopping today and bought the last of my supplies, sewing machine needles, thread and sharp thin pins. {I also bought things for crazy quilting.} I am going to scan and list all of the patterns I own eventually. It requires me fetching most of them from storage. But they will all be stored over in my photobucket account here -> http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v216/Lady_Savant/sewing%20cover%20art/

The first skirt I am doing is the easiest. It will be sewn in a light weight white satin {100% poly}. It is style {C} from Butterick pattern # B4470. The second will be style {B}, which is a six gore skirt, a little harder but should still be easy. It will be in the black satin crepe {100% poly}. This fabric does not look satiny at all but it has a good hand.
( B4470 )

The second skirt I will be doing I need to size up before cutting. I am doing two of these. One is going to be black satin {100% poly} and the other is this lovely cherry blossom brocade* {Rayon/Nylon}.
( Burda 8096 )

*The cherry blossom brocade is a medium to dark purple with pink and white flowers and green vines.
#6 on on this page -> http://www.transprism.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=62_63&sort=4a&&page=4 Is the main color this swatch is supposed to be.
( Scanned swatch )

I have two other patterns for skirts for her. Style {A} from the first one, Burda # 8118 and the longer skirt from the second, Purrfection # 1025 Sahara. She does not like denim so I have no real idea what she plans fabric wise for the first one. Personally when I lose some weight I am considering doing it in black denim with a nice brocade in the pleats. I could make the same skirt looks really different just by changing the pleat fabric. I think she wants to do the second one in velvet with the slits to her hips.
( Amanda's other twp patterns )

The patterns I bought for myself that day are Bruda 8098 and McCall's M5250. I want to do {C} on the second one in several different fabrics and colors. I think they will go very well with the pants.
( My pattern choices )

The patterns I was given around the same time by Kit are cut and I might even be tempted to resize the dress to make for myself. She said she had more and I Think she said they were for me. Not 100% sure though. {Edit: She does'}


( Patterns I would like to get and make: )

For me to design don't really need patterns for
Two sets of tab curtains throughout the house

Clothing
I like bold colored tops
short or no sleeved undershirts {camisoles are great}
three quarter to full leangth sleeves on cover tops
Black, dark blue or dark green bottoms
Black shoes
Steal toes boots with skirts
Box toed high heals
Non platform stiletoes {Though I doubt I will own any for a long time}
Cotton panties
Lacy fairly revealing bras
Low necklines

Garters and stockings are sexy {I am planning on trying them out when I lose the weight}

Decorating
I have a very eclectic decorating style. If I lived alone it would probably be a whimsical Gothic style but I have country and anime and cottage style thrown in for good measure. Honestly I like decorating each room differently.

She has great ideas! But then most of the people I like are very creative. So here goes.

One of the links I found on making rose beads says that they have tried lots of different flowers to make these and they all work equally well. Leaves how ever do not, they get too slimy she says. Cool. This got me thinking that I think I know someone that might like lavender beads. Hmmmmmmm...... .... Very cool.

ladykarris got me looking for the instructions on how to make these and I was amazed at how simple they can be. And I got to thinking how many I could make in a summer. I have 12 rose bushes and there is only so many that I can dry and store for Craft purposes. And since they make me sneeze now, potpourri is out of the question. So we shall see how this goes.

( Bead making links )

These are my first attempts at this but I think they are turning out well. Harvest is the one I started with. Then I got ideas for making them like pocket shrines only a little bigger. I plan on putting Hecate's box on my altar or using it as a focal point for my bedroom altar once the room swap is complete.

( The harvest box )

( Hecata's box )

I am doing this with chanda_m, haniaw & Bonnie {C's friend} as a SAL {Stitch-A-long}. I am not sure how we are working the sharing portion of this as I have not even talked with the last two people before. I trust chanda_m and know that we will figure it out. We officially pushed back the start of the SAL part until November.

The way we are doing it is that, since the theme is herbs and spices, each of us will take turns choosing an herb or spice. Then we will each find and make a recipe that contains that herb or spice. Then we will share the recipe and swap pictures. of our progress. I think that's how the sharing will go at least. =D So this one with cross over on from here to lady_savant and savants_kitchen.

02/28/07
I am an entire month behind on this one but I think it was worth the wait. I think it almost looked better without the back stitching though. I am also almost finished with the dill except I am missing a color which I am picking up today so I should be updating that today or tonight sometime. I plan on sending out the recipe for Rosemary bourbon almonds to the group. I will be posting it to [Bad username: savants_kictchen] at some point as well. If you would like it sooner rather then later just drop me a line.

Here is the close up


( More pictures under here )

From "Knitty Gritty"
episode DKNG-202

Vickie Howell welcomes Liz Gipson, the managing editor of Spin-Off magazine, to share the inside scoop on how to spin all sorts of fibers. Gipson will cover how to prepare fibers and how to make your own spindle from recycled materials.

Sheep's wool is the most popular fiber among hand spinners because it is versatile and easy to spin. Wool is easier to spin if it's prepared by separating the fibers into a loose, fluffy arrangement. You can buy a fleece and do the washing and preparation yourself (figure A), or if you prefer, you can buy wool that has already been washed, dyed and combed. There are many ways to prepare wool; our expert will demonstrate two basic ways here.

( Combing )

( Carding )

( Resources )

Note they have videos on the website.

From "Knitty Gritty"
episode DKNG-202

Fiber is turned into yarn by adding twist. In this case the twist comes from the spindle. What your hands do is called drafting -- letting the fibers slide past each other and then letting the twist catch them. The size of the yarn is determined by how much fiber is caught in the twist. When you're spinning, your goal is to pay attention to the fiber between your hands -- the fiber that is about to become yarn. Everything else will take care of itself!

( Instructions )

( Resources )

Pay $3.00 apiece for beaded knitting markers? Not I! And not you either, if you follow these few simple steps. You can make your own for much less, even little-to-no-money if you already have a few things on hand.

( Instructions )