A few nice things

Hey, how's your day going? Good I hope. Here's what my life looks like at the moment...

 A basket of kittehs.

 A drawing of leaves

 The Curvy Closet Sewing Club is back up and running. I finally had some time yesterday to do some sewing. Here's Vogue V1197, a cowl neck tunic. It was pretty simple to put together. The pattern had long shirred raglan sleeves but they were too fiddly for me so I cut them off at the elbow.  I also cut a kimono jacket out last night out of scrapes of fabric. 

 "Old Lonesome" out by the pond. 

The fish seem happy enough. 

Hugs and kisses to you!

Marilyn.

---

“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things

makes home happy and life lovely.” 

~ Louisa May Alcott 

 

Two Vogue Patterns ~ The Curvy Closet Sewing Club

Things have been busy here at the Curvy Closet Sewing Club.

 

I made a sun hat which came out a little floppy. Kinda sporty, don't you think? I bought some heavier facing and will be making another one. ~ Vogue 8405

It's been inelegantly hot here this last week so I made this arctic fleece coat this morning because it was a cooling thought. I am ready for rain and cold mornings now. The fleece is wonderfully soft, it's like wearing a cashmere baby blanket. I'll most likely use it for an upscale slanket. It's the perfect thing for curling up with a cup of tea. The pattern was super simple. ~ Vogue 8930

It does look a little like a rhinoceros hide though.

In those days the Rhinoceros's skin fitted him quite tight. There were no wrinkles in it anywhere. He looked exactly like a Noah's Ark Rhinoceros, but of course much bigger. All the same, he had no manners then, and he has no manners now, and he never will have any manners.  

From How The Rhinoceros Got His Skin by Rudyard Kipling

So any chilly morning when I don't feel like having manners, I shall wear my coat and feel most sentimental.

Marilyn.

Sewing for The Curvy Closet

My daily wardrobe is pretty pathetic. I keep expecting those people from What Not To Wear to show up at my door and start smacking me around, but to my knowledge that hasn't happened yet. Most days I'm a tee-shirt and jeans kind of gal.

But I got to thinking... back in the day, I used to be kind of glamorous. Heck, I was a fashion designer for years, going on research trips to Paris and London. I had silk suits and heels, leather gloves, and Italian handbags. But as the years passed my life changed and my priorities. I worked at home and didn't need suits or uncomfortable shoes. I was busy doing other stuff, being a mom, driving to swim lessons, baking cupcakes and cleaning up cat barf.

Shopping got to be a maddening experience. Cool clothes are easy to find in smaller sizes and cheaper too.  Plus size clothing is for the most part frumpy looking, not flattering and hard to find.  Old Navy's website sells larger sizes "Exclusively Online!" with an exclamation mark, like it's some kind of bonus feature. I used to wear a lot of J. Jill but they too only sell larger sizes online. I want to try things on before I buy them, thank you very much.

So I decided that if I couldn't find cool clothes that fit me then I would punch fashion in the nose and make them myself.


Here's a list of what I don't have...

•  tons of money

•  a big closet

•  a tall and slender supermodel figure

•  a tolerance for uncomfortable clothes


Here's a list of what I do have....

•  feet that are practically square, like Barney Rubble after a bad night of bowling

•  a hobbit shaped middle-aged lady figure, like a trashbag filled with water balloons

•  the ability to put a product line together.

•   a fifteen-year-old sewing machine

•   time

•   manic optimism


So I put together a plus size clothing line for one person, me, and started sewing. Here is what I've made so far... Some pieces missed the mark, like the flannel pants... they are huge. I feel like Kipling's rhino when I wear them, and one of the pockets is backwards. Other pieces are wins. The kimono sweatshirt is amazing, simple, warm, yet much more flattering than a regular sweatshirt.

 

This is my "to make" page... One of the local JoAnn's is closing so I picked up a shoebox full of patterns, five for a dollar. I bought a bunch of fabric for 75% off. I am set!

I also want to try more tee-shirt hacks and do more tie-dye.

How about you? What would you make if you could make anything? What's your favorite creative activity?

Marilyn.

--

Imagination creates reality.

~ Richard Wagner