The Latest Kwik Sew 2565

Here's the Native print T that I made during winter vacation from my TNT Kwik Sew 2565. Although windy today, it's warm enough to actually wear it outside.

...with a sweater of course. 

The SewWest Closet: I styled the T with a Coldwater Creek cardigan I've had for several years, Jones NY jeans, and Ivanka Trump suede booties. Also, a black wrist brace on my left wrist, courtesy of a bout of tendonitis I've been dealing with this month. 

Liberty IV--Complete!

The results are in, and the themed buttons are the winner! However, I've decided to go with the second choice, the red crystals. I really like the theme buttons but in the end, I decided that they should be a feature when I use them. I'm envisioning a solid color shirt in a Southwestern color like turquoise or rose. I do appreciate all the feedback though, it really helped me think about what I wanted to do!

I had to take a little break from the shirt due to fall cleanups. DH had the carpet cleaner in and of course, that meant everything in the house got moved around and then had to be reorganized.

I am taking a little staycation this week with my last two unscheduled days of the year, so I had some time yesterday to finish it up.

The completed garment:

Collar detail:

Front with buttons:

In real life, the buttons are a little bit more colorful and more sparkly. As I mentioned before, the themed buttons are great but I wanted something a bit more quiet. 

Oh, and pardon the cat fur. The perils of a black shirt with a white cat in the house! I will get a picture of me in the top as soon as I am able, but I assure you that I am happy with this look. It looks better on me than on the form which is always a good thing.

In Progress: Simplicity 2154

This pattern is my latest project. I'm making the cardigan, shown in orange in the large envelope photo. I selected this because I wanted a cardigan that had features similar to a lot of ready to wear that I'm seeing right now--crew neck, straight front opening, etc. This 1960's retro pattern really fit the bill. It even calls for a grosgrain ribbon facing, which I've noticed in several recent cardigans that I've bought. And I'm also old enough to remember when that's how all cardigans were done.

In addition to that, the sleeve has a fairly high cap. It's installed in the round because side seam is drafted about 2" toward the back of the cardigan. I was going to change it but I like this detail, as it reduces some of the bulk that can happen with intersecting seams.

I'm making a test version from some sweater knit that's been aging in my stash since 2002. It's a gray cheetah print that looks great, but unfortunately, it hides most of the pattern details. It's a test run of this pattern for some nicer sweater knit that I was unwilling to sacrifice to the unknown. So far it's a success, but I still need to make buttonholes for it-eek!! I spent some time this afternoon making sample front openings to experiment with but I don't want to start on buttonholes until I'm fresh. So I probably won't finish this one until next weekend, but that's ok.

After the sweater samples, I made a few seam samples for the next project after this one, a faux fur vest that I've christened The Smudge Vest. It's another test, using a remnant I acquired through ASG. It's white and resembles my cat's coat, hence the name.

I've had some questions about the booties I wore with the TSW outfit from a couple of weeks ago. I confess, I haven't really worn them in real life since winter 2010 when I was still in banking. At that time, they were surprisingly easy to wear, probably due to the extra leather and elastic fabric on the upper combined with the insoles I put in just about every pair of footwear I own.  But all that was pre-neuroma.  I'm being reasonably cautious about going back to heels especially since I don't have to wear them at my current job. I hope I can make them work eventually--they're a lovely pair of shoes, espresso croc-embossed leather from Talbot's.

Sundaze

Another weekend almost over already!

And another hot day. Bleh, August.

Smudge agrees. Here he is, trying to catch a breeze on the patio.

Anyway, not much going on here at Casa DaQ. I should be working on the final vestment project but I'm not feeling it at the moment. I cut out a tank top from the Loes Hinse Tank pattern last night, so it's more likely that it will be today's project. The stoles will be done by end of the month, I just don't feel like starting A Major Project this afternoon, know what I mean?

But first, I plan to relax in the office for a while. A church friend gave me several sewing-related magazines today that I'm planning to look over before doing anything productive.

A big thank you to everyone who left comments about recent projects here and at Stitcher's Guild about my recent projects! Honestly, I never dreamed that they would attract so much attention and praise.

Another gratuitous photo of Smudge before I go flop on the loveseat...

Palate Cleanser

I needed a quick project for me after completing all my recent faith-based sewing. Yesterday afternoon I completed some more Cat Pillowcases for the master bedroom. If you've been following my blog for a while, you may remember seeing them before. Felines love sleeping on pillows so they're something for the remaining kitty, Smudge, to relax on while lounging on the bed. The pillowcases come off when it's time for humans to use the pillows.

Of course, Smudge is white and the new pillowcases are black. Maybe not the best idea...

Forgot to Mention...

Oops, I neglected to report on the other cat in our household! Smudge underwent surgery for entropion, an eye condition in which the eyelid folds inward, causing the eyelashes to rub against the cornea. Although he's a short-haired cat, his fur is thick like a plush toy. It doesn't really surprise me that this would be an issue, especially since he's been treated for it before.

He went in for surgery, basically an eye-lid tuck, late last week. Both eyes were treated, since the original eye still continued to roll after the first surgery. Yuck. In addition to surgery, he's endured the Elizabethan collar, antibiotics and painkillers since then. He's sleeping a lot, but that's normal for him. In spite of the picture, he's doing better and will be going back to the vet next week for a check-up. Hopefully the stitches and collar will go away then.

Except for the surgery, Smudge is enjoying being the Only Cat in our household. I hope he'll realize this is only temporary when we get a new kitty.

Many Thanks, and a Rainbow

I appreciate all of your kind words regarding Ghost. Our animal companions do touch our hearts, and I'm glad that you understand that bond. Our other cat Smudge has been a comfort. He has a much different personality and still remains kitten-like even though he's an old man of eleven. It's likely that another cat will be coming into our lives later this fall after we get some travel done.

We had some amazing weather Monday evening, so I thought I'd share a few quick shots I took from the back porch. The sun was coming out even while the rain was coming down, resulting in a gigantic full double bow.




The pictures don't do it justice, just take my word for it! Anyway, it was a pleasure to see such beauty after such an emotionally trying day.

Farewell, Ghost

Ghost, 1990-2010.

Ghost started feeling bad on Saturday. I was out most of the day but realized something was wrong when DH told me she had not moved from a favorite chair all afternoon.



She continued to decline yesterday, refusing water and food. We decided that I should take her to the vet today. Due to her age, we knew it was unlikely she would get better and did not want her to suffer needlessly.



Even though she was very weak, she crawled into bed with me last night. We were able to comfort each other.


I made an appointment for this morning at 10:30.



She died in my arms, at home, at 10 AM.



I'll miss her very much.


Goodbye my little sweetheart and friend. You were the best cat anyone could hope for, and you had a great run. Thank you for being a loyal companion for 18 years.

Another Home Improvement: Cat Door

I realize that a lot of people believe cats should be 100% inside creatures. However, both of my cats are old (10 and 19), and they've been indoor/outdoor their entire lives. I don't see changing anything at this point.

In particular, Smudge loves to hang out in his back yard at night, so DF has been the doorman since moving in. And he's tired of it. So we ordered a sliding glass door panel that includes a cat door. It was installed Thursday.

There is definitely a learning curve involved. Although the kitties have a cat door for their litter box area, they are resisting this one. That's why the flaps are taped up, to get them used to the concept. The plan is to put the flaps down once they are loving their in/out privileges. Cats don't like change. Even change that's good.

*****

On the sewing front, I got more done on the Pure and Simple Shell! The neckline and armholes are complete and the hem is pressed up. Next up: hemming, followed by side seams. Yes, you read that right. The order of sewing is a little different than most patterns, but I'll do it Louise Cutting's way since this is her pattern.

Pillowcases

One of my regular sewing projects is pillowcases. This is because my cats decided that my bed pillows are their favorite place to lounge, as Ghost demonstrates in this photo. So I started making extra pillowcases that they could sleep and shed on. I remove them when it's my time to use the bed.

This is another sewing project that's simple and provides almost instant gratification. Since my bedroom is decorated in an Asian style, I make mine from cottons with a similar theme. I often use quilting cottons, but lightweight home dec fabric or a sheet could be used just as well.

I mentioned sheets because it's a good way to take advantage of white sales. How many times have you wanted to buy a set but there aren't any pillowcases left? Just pick up an extra flat sheet, and that problem's solved.

They also make great gifts. One of my friends makes sets of pillowcases that her son takes to the many birthday parties he's invited to. The other kids like them, especially when the fabric is customized to the recipient's interests and color preferences or features a popular cartoon character.

These instructions are based on the queen sized pillows I have on my bed, but you can customize these to whatever size you want. Start with a pillowcase you already have or use a standard chart to determine the finished dimensions.

In my case, I want the finished pillowcases to be 30" long















and 20 1/4" wide. This is a set that I completed a while ago from quilting cotton.
















Therefore, the fabric needs be cut into a rectangle, with the width equal to 2 times the finished width plus 2 seam allowances. The length will be equal to the finished length plus the seam allowance plus the hem allowance.

Here's the arithmetic:

Width = (2 x 20.25") + (2 x 0.5") = 41.5"

Length = 30" + 0.5" + 2" = 32.5"

Yes, the width is the larger measurement. Trust me on this, there's folding involved.

I typically use 1/2" seam allowances. Because the serged seam is 3/8" and the knife trims off 1/8", this is the simplest and least wasteful way for me. But you can use whatever seam allowance works best for you. Although this is a serger project for me, you can also make pillowcases with only a sewing machine. Remember that you'll need to finish the raw edges of your seams and the hem to prevent ravelling. For the seams, a zag zag or overcast stitch would work. For the hem, you can just fold under the raw edge before machine stitching it.


The 2" hem allowance is somewhat arbitrary. I think I initially measured it off a purchased pillowcase, then fudged a bit for a fabric layout. But 2" is an easy number to measure and remember, so that's what I do.


For my examples in the following pictures, I'm using a toile from The Pile. It's a directional print, and I want the design to be face up when the pillows are propped against the headboard instead of sideways. Thus, I'll lay out the fabric so that 41.5" is measured along the lengthwise grain and 32.5" will be measured along the cross grain. Here's one of the pieces cut out:

Yes, you can go the other way. It depends on the effect you want and how much fabric you have on hand. If you want the pattern to be face up when the pillows are on the bed, as I do, you need to have at least 2 1/3 yards for a set of queen pillows. If you want to have the pattern run the length of the pillow, you'll need a bit less than 2 yards.

OK, back to layout and cutting. I actually rip the fabric if possible. I feel that it's more accurate than scissor cutting on projects like this, and the fabric will be on the straight of grain.

Now, to sewing. Serge the rectangle along one of its longer sides. This will form your hem later.

Then, fold the fabric right sides together--your rectangle is now 20 3/4" wide and 32 3/8" long. Serge across and down the raw edges of the rectangle (2 passes through the serger).




Press up the hem and topstitch.

I use a template for this kind of pressing whenever possible. This is a technique I learned from The Sewing Workshop.

Turn right side out, and you're done.





Repeat with the other rectangle. You can get fancy with this, making a contrasting hem, piping, machine embroidery, buttonholes, etc., etc. These are just the basics--mine are cat fur protectors, after all.


Pleasant Dreams!

Gratuitous Cat Pictures

La Bellette Rouge has asked for some cat photos. Well, I could link to some past blog posts (and probably will anyway), but it would be more fun to post some pictures of my little darlings. This one is the original post, then there's this one and let's not forget this!


This one is Ghost, who is ancient (18):




This one is Smudge. He's 9, not young but still going strong:




In looking through previous cat posts, I realized that it's been about a month since Smudge injured his tail. Ghost's surgery was in March. It's been a big year for vet bills!


I've had cats as long as I can remember, starting with the Jinx dynasty of my childhood. Several orange tomcats in a row, all with the same name. Then, the "blue" series, which actually means the animal is gray. I started with with Anastasia, then Oz, Ghost, Troubles, and Smudge. Smudge, though mostly white, has gray accents on his head and was almost named Mikhail Gorbachev as a result.

The kitties are home!

I picked them up Thursday evening after work. Smudge's tail is healed. However, I had the vet perform a couple of additional procedures since he was being boarded anyway. He had some stitches taken on his left eyelids, so he'll be wearing the collar for another week. Now the fur won't rub and irritate his eye any more. He also had his teeth cleaned.

Ghost was just along for boarding, although they did tell me she'd need a chip installed due to city ordinance. Why they didn't tell me on the front end? I could have had it taken care of then. Oh well. It's not difficult or expensive, so I'll take her back in the next week or so.

The kitties are happy to be back and enjoying their home! Hopefully, they didn't mind the boarding too much.

No Sew Saturday

I thought that would probably happen once DF and I decided to get together last night. He's working both days this weekend since we have the trip coming up, and the original plan was for me to be on my own Saturday and Sunday. Oh well. I do rather like seeing him...

I ended up doing a lot of running around yesterday. My Santa Fe needed its 45,000 mile maintenance, and the appointment was in the afternoon. The dealer is located across from the mall, so they offered to take me there while I was waiting. I didn't buy much except a couple of bras at Dillard's. I did get a little snoop shopping in, though. There were some neat things I may copy.

The first was using lace yardage as interfacing. I was looking at some sheer tunics that used this technique to line the front facing. At first, I thought they'd overprinted a design over the main print. But no, cream or white lace was layered between. The facing side was the same fabric as the tunic but a light colored solid. I'm going to have to try it or at least do a mock up. Cute idea.

I also saw some knit tops that were similar to Marcy Tilton's new T shirt pattern, 8497.



The shirts had the same basic design lines as the green view. The lap went the opposite way, and the edges were finished instead of raw. The fabric was a bold Ed Hardy style print, and the lap was finished off with large silver snaps. The snaps were the kind you apply with the plier-like tool, not the sew on ones that are so popular now, and were attached through all layers so not functional as snaps. I loved the look but $90 for a cotton/lycra t-shirt is ridiculous no matter how kewl. I wish I'd been bold enough to take a photo of the display with my cell phone, but I thought the store might have a problem with that. Maybe I'll go back and do so in the dressing room!! At any rate, I have a whole new appreciation for Marcy's design eye (as if I needed a reminder).

At that point, I got the dealership to pick me up as I was malled out and had a short wait. I did stop by Target on the way home. An Isaac Mizrahi skirt jumped into the cart; it'll be cute for vacation. Unfortunately, it's not on Target's web page, so I'll need to post a photo later. It could not be easier to make--a drawstring tube skirt with welt pockets from a ticking stripe. But there were some cute designer-y details so I went for it.

I also received my latest eBay purchase, a group of several designer Vogues I got for $7 plus shipping. I need to go through them for completeness, but there are some nice ones in the group. Patou, Ungaro, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Yves St. Laurent, Givenchy, Geoffrey Beene, among others. There are a few I won't be keeping but I'm really happy at this point. I picked up the package from the mailbox on the way to the dealer, so I had the chance to look at them while I was waiting. I can be such a dork at times (but I don't care)!

Smudge has managed to pull off his tail dressing, so I'm off to the vet again this morning. I'd given him a break from the collar and didn't watch him closely enough. Hopefully, it'll be quick if I get in there right as they open.

Smudge Update, Day 14

We went back to the vet after work on Friday. More healing, I got to see the tail again and it looks much better! The last dressing change should happen on Tuesday.

Smudge Update, Day 9

Another quick update...

The Little Man and I went back to the vet yesterday for another bandage change. I actually got a chance to look at the tail. Still yucky, but it does appear to be healing up. Received another bottle of Clavamox (antibiotic) for him to take, but the dose has been lowered to 1 mL twice a day.

I gave Smudge a little break from the collar when we got home so he could clean up and rest. The vet suggested that we should only do this under supervision. If he gets bored, he could start to pull off the dressing.

And in sewing news, the fourth nightgown was completed Friday night, just in time for Garment a Month. I didn't embellish as I thought I would. The fabric is busy and doesn't show the extraneous facing at all, so I let it be. I've made 4, which should get me through the rest of the summer. I still plan to do a proper post with pictures soon. Promise.

Smudge Update, Day 5

Another dressing change today. Smudge continues to heal well, so our next visit is over the weekend. Yay!

One good thing that's coming out of this is that Smudge is getting over his fear of the car and the cat carrier. When I picked him up today, the vet tech said he was asleep and didn't wake up when she moved him to the carrier. He continued to sleep almost all the way home. Granted, this is a short ride, but he used to yowl and wet. So this is a huge improvement.

Another plus today. In spite of the bandage, Smudge is starting to hold his tail high. Those of you who are owned by cats understand this--it's the normal, "happy" tail posture. So the boy is feeling very good!

Smudge Update, Day 3

A quick update on the little man.

Smudge went back to the vet today for another dressing change. Good news! He didn't have to have the debreding done because his skin is healing and looking better. He's feeling more like himself too--starting to fight back a bit when I give him his medicine. This is a Good Thing.

We go back again on Wednesday, that is, if the dressing stays in place and doesn't get wet.

Smudge Update, Day 2

Smudge managed to slip the dressing off his tail sometime last night. It still looks bad, but better now that it's been cleaned up a bit. He's also handling his tail a bit more normally now, moving the tip around, etc., so it must be more comfortable. Most of the fur has been shaved off, so it looks a like a lion's tail with a tuft at the end.

After the first round of meds this morning (oral antibiotics, painkiller, antibiotic ointment for an unrelated eye problem), we headed back to the vet's office for a follow up exam and dressing change. The vet was pleased with how the tail looks and was even able to put in a couple of sutures to help hold the outer edges of the wound together. Tomorrow we go back again. Although there appears to be blood flow to the bone and muscle, he's still concerned about the skin. He'll probably debrede the margins tomorrow (yuck!).


For now, Smudge is sleeping in the corner of the living room, which is probably for the best. He's still having trouble navigating with the collar but seems a lot calmer than after yesterday's visit to VCA West Mesa.


I also did a little sewing today, completing another Simplicity 9505 View E. This one, and another one I'm making, have been problematic for no good reason. Because I sewed a front facing onto the back of the gown (on both gowns!), there are keyhole openings at both CF and CB. The front opening is functional but the back one isn't. This doesn't affect the wearability of either gown in the least, but it's irritating to make such a dopey mistake, not just once but twice, and on such easy projects! I'll post pictures when both of them are complete and write about what, if anything, I did to fix the gowns.

The Big Patient

This time, it's Smudge. When I woke up this morning, I noticed blood on his tail, so I took him to the vet. It turned out that he had a cut almost completely around his tail, to the bone. Ugghhh.


The vet said it was likely caused by having a door shut on his tail. I know it's not something that happened at my house--He would have yowled loudly if I'd so much as touched his tail with a door! He does go outside and wanders among a small number of backyards in the neighborhood. It disturbs me to think one of my neighbors might have done this to him. I just hope it was an unfortunate accident and not deliberate meanness.


Poor boy, he's very unhappy with all this. The collar, the dressing, the medicine, the shaving of his tail. It's all a bit much for him, and he's majorly p.o.'d.





The prognosis is uncertain at this point. The vet wants to see how it looks tomorrow before he stitches the wound up. If there's no blood flow, Smudge will become a bob tailed kitty.

Cacti: Prickly Pear

The flowers on one variety of prickly pear started blooming yesterday. These are the traditional variety; I haven't seen any on the bear's paw yet. Below is a closer view with lots of buds:




On a tangent: Ghost isn't the only cat who hangs out in the sewing room. Tonight Smudge decided he would use the ironing board as a bed, and a stack of patterns as his pillow: