February Goals Check In & March Goals

Part of me can't believe February is over. The other part, the part of me that spent the better portion of a week on the couch being sick and missed my mom's 70th birthday party,  and the part of me that went away on a ski vacation to ski in the rain (well, only one day was spent in the rain but still), definitely knows February is over.  

Yours truly on the ski vacation - it rained one day, but snowed the next!

I took a look at my goals over the past few days to prep for this post and realized that I haven't actually been working towards them.  When I get busy, I forget to review.  I need to set up a better system to review them on a regular basis.  Reviewing my goals is a big part of success in reaching them.  

In any event, here were my goals for February, and how I fared:

Knitting

1.  Start and finish the personal sock club (PSC) sock for February Done!  I'm really loving this sock club, and am having fun exploring patterns that I've had cued for years!  Kudos to my girl for putting this together for me!

2.  Work on the Mackenzie sweater I have thought about working on this, does that count?! ;)

3.  Spin one braid/bump/batt nada, nope, nothing.  The spinning wheels sit neglected in my living room, mocking me.  Maybe when ski season is finished, I'll get back to it.

4.  Finish the Sheepish Little Sweater for Deklan I'm in the midst of the second sleeve, so it's coming!

5.  Start and finish birthday socks for Mom and choose the birthday socks for Dad I have started and finished the socks for Mom, and am a good way through the socks for Dad, so I've super smashed this goal.

Sewing

1.  Sew a Fenway bra and pantie set  I don't know what the deal is with this bra, but I just can't make myself get it into the queue.  I now have the right colour powernet for the back bands, but am missing navy fold over elastic to finish the mesh part of the cups.  I"m trying not to buy anything, but if I want to sew this, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get some on order.  Maybe it's because I don't have much success with the use of fold over elastic?  

2.  Chose and sew one Burda pattern from the January 2018 issue (can't wait to try the yoga top and leggings!) the patterns for the yoga top and leggings have been traced (ahem, on the 28th, but only because I wanted to at least make some progress on this goal!)

3.  Continue sewing Queen of the Dots SWAP items I am making great progress on this.  Only two more pieces to go, and I'll be done the first/main component of the SWAP!  Watch my posts for more details on each piece as I progress.

Reading

1.  Finish reading Crucial Conversations I haven't even picked this up since I wrote this goal.  I am even putting the portions of this book that I have read into practice, and want to finish it but get sidetracked every time I make plans to read.

2.  Finish reading Life Mask by Emma Donoghue I had borrowed this from the library and didn't finish it before it got returned.  I  had a hard time getting into it, so I'm just going to move onto the next book on my list.

3.  Start Leaning In I have devoted seriously little time to reading this month and haven't finished the previous books, so there's no sense in starting another one.

4.  Start the next book in the Libermann Papers series by Frank Tallis  ditto

5.  Start High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard ditto ditto

Health/Fitness

1.  Get at least 7 hours of sleep at night.  Go to bed by 10 pm.  Try, try, try!  Well, I'm getting to sleep by 11 pm.  I'm heading to bed around 10, but then reading for a bit before lights out.  This is progress.

2.  Continue with yoga 3x/week in the mornings  Yes, I'm smashing this goal (funny to use that phrase related to yoga, but anyway).  Stretching really makes me better.

3.  Meditate daily, every morning  I'm not getting a formal meditation practice in every day, but I'm making moments throughout my day more meditative.  

4.  Move my body outdoors at least 3x/week.  Life for me is better when I get outside! This has been a weird one this month.  At the beginning of February it was just gross outside, then I was sick, and then I was away on a ski vacation which really bumped up my desire to be outside, nice weather or not.  So, I'm not sure how to classify whether I accomplished this goal, but the nicer weather we've been having coupled with the approach of the end of ski season have really made me want to be outside, either walking or skiing.

Goals for March!

Knitting

1.  Choose a project that is currently in hibernation mode (on Ravelry) to start working on again. I'm thinking maybe the Stunning Lace Lux Poncho, just in time for summer?  It goes perfectly with my Queen of Dots SWAP clothing items.

2.  Finish Dad's birthday socks.

3.  Start and finish March PSC socks.

4.  Choose, start and finish a birthday knit for my sister (her birthday is March 30).  Amy, if you're reading this, I'll be sending you a knitted something for your b-day!

Sewing

1.  Finish the first phase of the Queen of Dots SWAP.  I only have two more pieces to go, with the majority of one finished.

2.  Start the second phase (Extras) for the Queen of Dots SWAP.

3.  Order the fold over elastic for the navy Fenway bra set.

4.  Make the Harriet bra and a matching pantie.

5.  Make activewear/yoga from the January 2018 Burda magazine.

6.  Make the Kerrie sportsbra from Pin Up Girls patterns.

Reading

1.  Start the next book in the Libermann Papers series by Frank Tallis. And actually read it.

2.  Finish Crucial Conversations.

Health/Fitness

1.  Dragonboat season is coming, and I'm woefully off my training routine.  I would like to gear up the training by re-introducing kettlebells and core workouts back into my routine, 3x/week.

2.  Continue with yoga 3x/week.

3.  Continue with getting outdoors (walking or skiing) 3x/week.

Miscellaneous

1.  Choose a way to track and review my goals.

2.  Start spring cleaning my Atelier.  I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I have down there again.  I need to go through my fabric and donate/toss some stuff!!

I'd love to hear from you.  What goals to you have this month?

The Best Laid Plans

Sometimes I just don't stay true to my SWAP plans.  There are many reasons why my plans change (I get bored, I can't find the pattern I was going to use originally, I can't find fabric to suit my ideas...), but in this case it turned out that the textured white sweater knit I was going to use for my planned project had much less yardage than I had originally anticipated.  In fact, it looks like I already hacked another project out of it.  I have no idea what the project was or when I did that, but the result is I didn't have enough fabric for the chosen project.

Photo credit:  M1357, My Image Magazine #7

I fell in love with the pattern M1357 from My Image Magazine #7 (fall/winter 2013/2014).  The magazine can be found here: Made by Oranges.



The sweater is a pretty basic sweater, with a lovely loose turtleneck, large cuffs at the wrists and is finished with a self-fabric bottom band.

In searching through my stash, I found a black super stretchy fabric (maybe a matte slinky - remember that stuff?!), with very fine taupe stripes.  It took me longer to trace the pattern off than it did to sew, and neither took very long to do.

I love the finished result.  I did a Nancy Zieman pivot and slide method of adding 1" to the bust instead of a traditional FBA (I didn't want a dart in this fabric).  I also added 2" in length to the sleeves.

Before I added the bottom band, I sewed the pieces together on one side and then wrapped it around my hips, marking where I wanted the final result to be.  I ended up whacking off about 10 cm in the width of the band to make it more fitted.  I would suggest doing this for each top you make from this pattern as all stretch knits behave differently.

I'm really happy with the final result.  So happy, in fact, I immediately cut out another one from a fabric I had just bought.

This fabric is a very open weave knit in a charcoal grey mix, with a bit more body than the "slinky" I used for the first one.  It kind of feels like a chenille fabric, but not as soft or as bulky.

I added about 5 cm to the length at the centre front, tapering it to nothing at the side seams to accommodate my bust volume, instead of only the width that the Nancy Zieman method FBA seems to add.

I will certainly need to wear a cami, tank or tee underneath this top as it is very showy otherwise, but I love the unusual fabric.

I think this is a cozy but lightweight sweater that will be great for the transition to spring.  If it ever arrives...that is.

FO - More Dots!

I've actually been scheduling time in m'Atelier this month.  As in, it's in pen in my paper calendar and bullet journal so it's an actual scheduled event I don't mess with.  Like, a lunchtime stress relieving appointment, or an after dinner appointment that I have to honour.   This means I've been getting a lot of sewing done.  Which is great, because I've made a rather lofty goal for myself to complete the SWAP I'm currently working on (you can read all about my plans here).

I love polka dots.  Sewing with polka dot fabric makes me very happy.  I found a black rayon blend lightweight crepe with white polka dot fabric on my stash and knew I just had to include it in my sewing plans.  I decided on a blouse using My Image magazine #12 M1612.   You can find the magazine on www.madebyoranges.com.

M1612 has back princess seams, with a yoke at the front shoulders and 3/4 length bell sleeves, which you can see in the line drawing above.  What the line drawing doesn't show is the soft gathers where the shoulder yoke joins the front.  When I was tracing the pattern, I wondered why the front piece seemed so much bigger than the yoke piece, but didn't notice the part about gathers until reading through the instructions.  Not that it would have changed my mind about making the blouse, but it's funny (weird) that the gathers aren't shown.  Anyway...here's the finished object:

I love it!  I chose white buttons.  Mostly because I had just used up all of my black ones in the right size, but also because I thought they were fun with the white polka dots.  The neckline is finished with self fabric bias binding, which I think is a really nice touch.

You can't see the princess seams on the back in the photograph, in fact, you can't really see them in person either, but they add really nice shaping to the blouse.  It's flowy, but not voluminous, which is how I prefer it. 

What are you sewing?  Any SWAP plans?

FO, Christine Jonson Patterns Travel Trio One, Center Seam Pants

I've been feverishly working away at my Queen of Dots SWAP plans.  With four items already finished, I'm using the momentum I'm gaining with the excitement of each finished object.  I was reminded of Christine Jonson Patterns by their recent pants sew-along in their Facebook group.  I have always liked Christine's patterns - Christine offers a wide range of paper patterns that work so well together.  A lot of these can now be purchased as a PDF as well.  Christine focuses on using knit fabrics for her patterns, and as a result her line of patterns makes the ideal solution for a travel wardrobe.  Spring is always a busy time for me, with a lot of travel for work to regional tradeshows.  My Queen of Dots SWAP was planned with these tradeshows in mind, which is why I included some knit separates.  My next choice was the Christine Jonson Travel Trio One, Center Seam Pants out of the same medium weight black ponte that the Christine Jonson Basewear Two Tapered skirt was made out of.

My measurements placed me in the size 16 waist and 14 hip, however, when I did the stretch test, I was worried the fabric wouldn't be stretchy enough.  I was hoping to avoid a compression legging/sausage casing style pant, and wanted more of a flared trouser style, so I sized up to size 18 for the waist and size 16 for the hip (and lower).  I scooped out/lowered the back crotch curve by about 1" to get rid of the standard wrinkling that I get pooling under my buttocks/at the tops of my hamstring area.  I also scooped out about 3/8" from the front crotch curve to get rid of the camel toe look I commonly get (so my crotch seam now looks more like a U than J).  I'm not sure that makes any sense, I can add some sketches to show you more details on this if you like - just let me know.  I also lengthened the pattern at the lengthen/shorten line by the knee by 6".

I made sure to carefully label each piece - right side/wrong side, as well as inner front/outer front vs. inner back/outer back.  I find when I'm sewing I end up not paying attention to these things and need visual reminders of what piece goes where.

I ended up taking in about an inch off of each side seam - this is consistent with the changes I had to make to the Tapered skirt, also from Christine Jonson Patterns, and also out of the same fabric.  In hindsight (see what I did there, lol), I should have all of the seams equally across the back.  As a result, my centre seams at the back are more on the side back than the centre back, but if anyone is looking that closely and comments on it, I'll have something else to say to them about what they're looking at ;)  I love how the yoke looks, but when I tried it on once I had sewn it together, the waist came up really high - around my natural waistline.  I have long legs (34" inseam for flats, 35-36" for heels), but I am also shortwaisted and dislike a seam line hitting me at the natural waist.  So, I lopped off the yoke and attached a stitch and turn elastic waist instead.  Maybe I should have called this SWAP The Queen of Lopping instead?!

I really like the finished pants.  They feel like very flattering secret pyjamas!  The weight of the ponte is great for a bootcut pant, and doesn't show every lump and bump!  You'll have to take my word for it because right now I only have these photographs to show you.

Taking photographs is quite difficult for me.  I don't have access to a photographer, I'm a bit lazy about taking my own pictures and end up using my cell phone camera at night.  The lighting in my Atelier is not so great during the day, and even worse at night.  I hope to take some pictures later this week with a better camera, a tripod, and in a different location during the day so you can actually see how these pants fit me.  But until then, you'll have to make do with these photos.

Up next on the sewing table:

Failure in Greyscale

I start off all of my sewing projects with such high hopes.  I usually have a pretty clear vision of the outcome in my mind, but sometimes things don't go as you plan.  I would like desperately need some new loungewear.  I love Olivia Pope's loungewear and aspire to create some new garments similar to hers - luxurious, flowy, soft and elegant over the crazy printed flannel pants and a fleece sweatshirt I currently now turn to.

One of my #makenine2018 goals is the Toaster Sweater by Sew House Seven.  I originally was thinking of the #1, but when I searched through my patterns, I realized I only had purchased #2.  So, I decided to use that one instead.  I used a medium weight heathered light grey French terry from my stash - it's deep stash (when I think about it, I probably purchased it more than 10 years ago) and I have no idea where it came from.  I added an 1" to the length of the sleeves, but otherwise made it as per the original pattern in a size large.  I used a light pink thread, mostly because I was lazy and it was what was on my sewing machine and serger, but it turned out to add a neat touch (in my opinion anyway).

Here's the result.

Toaster Sweater #2 - Front

Toaster Sweater #2 - Back

Toaster Sweater #2 - Side view

Doesn't look too bad, right?  Well, when I put it on...let's just say this is why I want to make a direct copy of my body for a dressform.  I am much more well endowed than the dressform and as a result, when I wear the top it juts out from my bust level and sort of hangs weirdly straight down.  Like a tent.  Or a short mumu.  Not Olivia Pope-esque at all.  I really should have done a FBA and sized down a little for the front and back pieces of this but again, lazy.  Other than that, I do like this pattern.  The funnel neck is cozy but not restricting like a turtleneck can be.  The side vents are also a lovely feature, as is the back hemline being lower than the front hemline.  I'll still wear this, but it won't see the light of day.

Let's move on to the pants of this outfit.  I used the Hudson Pant, View A in size 12.  I've made these a few times before, and love the versions I made previously.  Here's the result of my current attempt:

Looks good, right?  Well...for whatever reason, I totally ignored the "this pattern is drafted for a woman of 5'5" with a 28" inseam" line that is VERY. CLEARLY. WRITTEN. in the pattern instructions.  I am not 5'5", nor do I have  28" inseam.  I am, in fact, 5'9" with a 34" inseam.  I bet you can guess the outcome of this...THE PANTS ARE WAY TOO SHORT.  I don't know what I was thinking.  Nor do I know why I didn't make any notations on my traced copy of the pattern that I used two or three times already or even why I didn't adjust the actual pattern piece itself!  I can (and will) cut the cuffs off and make them into view B, which is the capris version.  But that means it's not the snuggly warm version I was looking for to wear NOW.

There you have it.  Failure in greyscale.  Back to the drawing board.

FO - I Heart Me!

I hate the commercialization that holidays of any kind have turned into.  Valentine's Day was the one of the first holidays to turn into a marketing blitz.  And being single on Valentine's Day makes my "inadequacies" glaringly more apparent.  Instead of a pity party, I've decided to take Valentine's Day on, head on.  Combine that thinking with the fact that I've been binge-sewing lingerie lately, and I came up with  the idea of celebrating ME in all my oneness by making myself a cute new lingerie set.  Or two.  Actually, I made three.

My goals this year include making 12 bras (see my 2018 Goals post here), and that has got my lingerie designing thinking cap on!  The ideas are just swirling around in my brain.  Where can I put lace, where do I use lining, what elastic do I have, how can I incorporate that special piece of whatever.  I have a ton of beautiful kits from Merckwaerdigh that have taken up residence in one of my stash bins (I can buy faster than I can sew!!), and want to use them.  For the first set, I wanted something that would something fun and cute.  A quick search through my stash turned up this kit:

I used the Bolyston Bra pattern from Orange Lingerie for the bra, which I've used before.  Now that I've fine-tuned the fit, it sews up quickly.  The part that takes the longest when I'm making a new bra is now the designing phase, where I try to figure out where I"m going to put which fabric, lace and elastic!  I used some of the elastic from the kit, and some from my stash, and I used foam for the cups from Bramaker's Supply.

Here's the finished bra:

I also made a pair of panties from the "leftover" fabric in the kit.  I used the Gabriella Knickers pattern by Evie la Luve.  It doesn't seem to be available anymore, but the pattern cover looks like this:

Mine look like this:

For bra #2 in my Valentine's celebration making frenzy, I made another Bolyston bra from yet another kit from Merckwaerdigh.  I wanted this one to be more feminine than cute.  It turned out very pretty, I think.  I used the stretch lace in the kit directly over the foam cups, without any lining.  I finished the tops of the foam cups with fold over elastic.  I used the plain, but very stretchy, cream colour spandex that came in the kit for the frame and bridge, but I used the stretch mesh over top of the spandex (instead of as a lining). I decided to cut the stretch mesh with the direction of stretch going in the opposite direction from the spandex to add a bit more support.  I added some pieces of the stretch lace at the side of the frames for added interest.  The bands are cut from power mesh to provide more support. 

I made a pair of Esme panties from Evie la Luve with the stretch lace back to match this bra, but the photograph of them seems to have disappeared.  I'll have to edit this post to put in a pic when I've had a chance to gather all the photography gear again.

And one more Bolyston bra set, this one from another kit from...you guessed it...Merckwaerdigh.  This one is definitely Valentine's themed in RED.

 The stretch lace in the kit has some brown accents, which are echoed in the elastics, also from the kit.  I went with the self-fabric strap on this version, which is as the pattern.  The foam I used for this bra came from Bramaker's Supply.  It is a bit softer than the foam I've used previously (you can see that in the photograph below), but I don't know how it wears.  I bought it mostly because it is red.  I finished the top of the foam cups with fold over elastic as well.

The panties are the Giselle Ruched Panties from Ohhh Lulu.  You guys!!  I love these - I made the size large based on my measurements, and they fit amazingly well (which you'll just have to take my word of, because I'm not ready to display my bootie on the 'net in all it's glory).  The ruching is such a pretty feminine touch, and I love it!  I cut the front piece from the stretch lace that was included in the kit.  The elastics were also leftover from the kit, with the exception of the one I used for the back ruching - that came from stash.

As an aside - I'm struggling with photographs for the blog.  I know I can do better.  I've even started pulling out my fancy DSLR, taking photographs at lunch time to take advantage of natural light, as well as running the photos through a photo editing software, but when you start with crappy lighting, well, you end up with a not so great photograph.  I've done everything in my power (currently, that is, without investing in some new lights for the studio, or a course in digital editing) to get a better photograph.  As a result, this colour red isn't really true to life.  But, you get the idea.  I've been having fun sewing a lot of new lingerie for myself. 

I'm saving the red set for it's debut on the 14th.  So if I see you then, you'll know what I've got on underneath!! ;)

January Goals Check In

January. The month often faulted to be the let down month after the holidays, known for Blue Monday.  This January has seen ups and downs for me, particularly because for a good part of January, I was stuck indoors battling the frigid temperatures we've experienced this month.  Shack-wacky as my daughter's boyfriend calls it.  That being said, being indoors during awful weather isn't so bad.  I've been hunkering down in my sewing room, creating, as well as knitting up a storm.  Or through the storm...Ha.  I make myself laugh.  Ahem.  Anyway.

Here were my goals for January and how I fared:

Knitting

1.  Finish Autumn Woods socks - first sock is finished, casting on the second pair today. Done!  Even the ends are woven in, and photographs are up on Ravelry!
2.  Finish Rikke hat.  Done!! I've been wearing this soooo much - its so soft and squooshy, I love the colours.  Handspun for the win!
3.  Finish Henry the Chipmunk.  All I have to do is the eyes, but for whatever reason it's been sitting on my shelf not finished for A-G-E-S.  Nope, gah.  Some day...for now he's sitting on my shelf in my office, judging me, still eyeless.
4.  Machine knit a sweater for Deklan (my grandson)   I didn't pull out the knitting machines, but I'm well on my way through the Sheepish Little Sweater as a hand knit, and I'm loving it! Sleeves on baby sweaters aren't the black hole they are on adult sweaters!  One more to go!
5.  Chose and spin one braid from my stash.  Nope - the spinning wheels are sitting, collecting dust in my living room.

Sewing

1.  Sew another Boylston bra (kind of cheating since this is already cut out and ready to sew) Done!  In fact, I made several!
2.  Sew a Fenway bra I haven't sewn a Fenway bra - I started.  I chose some fabric that I wouldn't be heartbroken to lose if it doesn't work out.  But then I realized I needed some supplies to make it a decent looking wearable muslin should it actually work out, so I'm working on collecting those before I can get into the sewing.  I sewed a couple more Bolyston Bras instead
3.  Chose a pattern from Burda magazine for lounge wear (I change every evening after dinner to flannel pants, and I think it's time to upgrade). I did sew some lounge wear but I didn't use a Burda pattern for it.  So half accomplished maybe?
4.  Plan and post my late Winter/early Spring SWAP plans. Done!
5.  Trace and sew one Toaster sweater. Done!  I'm not 100% happy with how it turned out, but it's wearable and cozy.

Reading

1.  Finish King's Crossing by Christine Kling Done!
2.  Finish Crucial Conversations  I haven't finished this, but am continuing to read this
3.  Finish You, Inc. I haven't finished this one either, but am still working through it.  
4.  Chose next fiction book  I've read a few this month actually.  I am currently in the midst of Life Mask by Emma Donoghue.  I'm having trouble getting into this one but it could be because I've been exhausted at the end of long days when I try to read it.
5.  Start reading Tribe of Mentors by Timothy Ferris  haven't started yet...
6.  Start reading Leaning In (received this one for Christmas from my Dad) also haven't started yet.


Health/Fitness

I've changed this title from original title of Physical Health/Fitness, because I need to pay attention to my emotional health and mental health too.

1.  Yoga with Adriene at least 3x/week. Well...it's been close to three times a week, but only because I was gently scolded by my chiropractor about getting back to stretching.  I've had some old aches and pains flare up this month, and have only been doing yogic stretches, not really a flow or power yoga I want.  Baby steps.
2.  Go to bed at 10 pm. Do you ever notice that when you state your plans, sometimes it just absolutely goes in the opposite direction?  I was lucky to see 11 pm for a bed time this month, and that's on the really late side for me!
3. Decrease alcohol intake during the week. Yeah, I decreased it.  Not by much, but it's a step in the right direction.  And I feel less guilty about my alcohol intake and absolutely enjoy the drink I do have.
4.  Meditate 3x/week.  I'm trying out a few new routines.  Like sitting in my office and quietly contemplating before I start my day.  So far, it works as long as I don't look at the email first.  Or get a phone call right away. I have the attention span of a gnat.  That's why it's called a practice!

Goals for February

Knitting

1.  Start and finish the personal sock club (PSC) sock for February
2.  Work on the Mackenzie sweater
3.  Spin one braid/bump/batt
4.  Finish the Sheepish Little Sweater for Deklan
5.  Start and finish birthday socks for Mom and choose the birthday socks for Dad

Sewing

1.  Sew a Fenway bra and pantie set

2.  Chose and sew one Burda pattern from the January 2018 issue (can't wait to try the yoga top and leggings!)

3.  Continue sewing Queen of the Dots SWAP items

Reading

1.  Finish reading Crucial Conversations
2.  Finish reading Life Mask by Emma Donoghue
3.  Start Leaning In

4.  Start the next book in the Libermann Papers series by Frank Tallis

5.  Start High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard

Health/Fitness

1.  Get at least 7 hours of sleep at night.  Go to bed by 10 pm.  Try, try, try!  Sleep often loses out to sewing or knitting for me, but I'm so much better when I get enough sleep!
2.  Continue with yoga 3x/week in the mornings
3.  Meditate daily, every morning
4.  Move my body outdoors at least 3x/week.  Life for me is better when I get outside!