Bits & Bobbins from Around My Brain

I wanted to post a few things I thought may be of interest.  First, I was thrilled to find Erin's interview with Winnie (aka Scruffy Badger) on Seamstress Erin's site.  Winnie's blog is one of 3-4 I try never to miss, she's a nut, a stylish dresser, an expert sewist & fast, too...it seems like she posts new items at least twice/week...oh and I want her shoes.  Here's hoping she's up on the next season of the Great British Sewing Bee!  (All the episodes are available on YouTube, so catch up there.)

Second, you've seen the Roommate's math-flavored shirt, but I decided it needed a pocket, even though there's not one on the pattern.  I got the fabric at Bits of Thread, DC, & it was only $3/yard.  Problem is it's from a donation (they work with ScrapDC), so I bought all they had, but it wasn't much.  I had originally run out while making it without even putting a pocket in it...so the back yoke facing is from this same material, while the back collar & front plackets are from a bag of quilting cotton I got from freecycle.  I looked & looked thru my scraps, but just couldn't find the right fabric to match, so ended up using this stripy cotton, which you may recognize from my knickers obsession a few months ago.  

I am currently adding a slash pocket to another shirt he's getting, and because I don't have instructions, I have to keep walking away so I don't mess up.  I logically figure out the next step, do it, and then have to think a bit (away from my sewing room!) while I work out the step after.  So, I've been working on this post as a way to distract myself & think of something else!  Disclaimer:  I am messing up & have done lots of un-sewing, too, today, but, still, walking away means I mess up less.  

There's actually quite a bit of distraction around here...we're getting a new gas fireplace installed so there's a carpenter, a gas expert & 2 electricians here.  Very exciting, especially as our bookshelves are arriving from ISS today, too.  Bella is NOT supervising today...she's afraid of all these new & noisy people.  I'm on my own in the sewing room! 

Finally, another rearrangement of my sewing room. (The 84th time?!)  I decided to raise the height of my cutting table, as my back gets quite sore if I'm doing a lot of cutting out.  So, I swapped tables. (Yes, we have an abundance--three!--vestigial furniture from a 4 bed/3 bath apartment in Abu Dhabi.  They're all solid wood, so very hard for me to get rid of.)  I was using this with my sewing machine, with the machine sitting on a crate, and this one, which is wider, was my cutting table.  But I decided I needed a higher cutting/work table, so bought these lovely cans to raise the height 6".  And decided that the Norden gateleg (6 leg) table would not be as stable resting on 4 giant cans of green beans & whole potatoes in ham sauce, as the 4 legged Björkudden would.  

Another pocket!

If you don't live where there are floods, canned goods are a great way to raise furniture out of harm's way (if the waters don't come up higher than your cans!).  If I decide I like this set-up, I'll probably cover the cans w/ cloth so they're a bit prettier.  

It remains to be seen if this will be okay, I've dropped half the Norden, can now get to its drawers better (well half of them, where I store my muslin & interfacing) & it has changed how I get to my drawer of tools.  But I cut my workspace by 25%, too.  I promise to put a photo up soon...in a newly-finished dress!  

I did finish the 2nd pocket today...it took a long time & wasn't very easy.  But I think it looks pretty good!