I finished up my 1st month packet of Dear Jane.

A-7 Dad's Plaids

A-8 Florence Nightingale

Top Row, 1st from Left

Top Row, 2nd from Left

And I got started on the 2nd month...

A-9 Cabin Fever

I actually had to learn to paper piece which I'd never done before but it turned out well. I'm proud of myself for learning something new.

In addition to going to Stitches on Friday we stopped at New Pieces Quilt Shop in Berkeley on our way home. I picked up a couple of yards of fabric for my dress for our friends wedding in June. I decided to go with the Butterick 4443 in the strapless.I found this green and cream piece that both my mom and I really like.

I'll need to get some cream fabric to use for the sash and the band across the top. I think I'm going to knit the Camellia Shrug from the latest copy of Knitscene to go with the dress. It'll be June but I get cool once the sun goes down.



I'm thinking of doing it in a cream to go with the cream flowers on the green fabric. I still need to get the pattern, get the cream fabric for the sash and band, get the fabric for the lining, get appropriate undergarments, notions for the dress and find the yarn and knit the shrug...that's a lot to do. The wedding is at the end of June so I have some time to get it done.

I think knitting the shrug is the least of the problems. Making the dress is going to present the biggest challenge. For one it's lined and second, because it's strapless, it really needs to fit right so I think I'd be smart to make a muslin before I start cutting my fabric. It's a bit intimidating but I think I can get it done as long as I don't get sidetracked. And truly, not getting sidetracked is some times the hardest part.

Today, I'm heading off to my mom's house. I'll be staying with her tonight, going to Stitches tomorrow and then spending the night again before heading back to Sacramento on Saturday morning.

I mentioned to my mom, who is a professional seamstress, that I'm going to be needing a dress for our friends wedding in June. So now in addition to going to Stitches on Friday, we're going to be making an additional stop on our way back at a quilt shop called New Pieces Quilt Store in Berkeley.

I think I've pretty much settled on this dress for the wedding.

Lotus Morning Glory by Amy Butler

I love Amy Butler fabric and New Pieces has lots of it. I'm hoping to find Lotus Morning Glory for this dress but if not, I'm sure that I'll find something else that I really like. This pattern only calls for 2 yards of fabric for the bodice and the skirt which is hardly anything.

I'm not sure I'm going to be able to handle tomorrow...knitting and sewing fun in one day?! It might be too much!

This June Hubbs and I will be attending the wedding of one of our oldest friends. He and his finance are have an outdoor wedding at a winery in the foothills this June. It's four months away but I'm already thinking about what I'm going to wear.

Since it's going to be June a dress is tops on my list. Here's my top 5 pattern choices right now.

Vogue - V1088, design by Donna Karen

This one is a halter.

McCall's - M4769

Butterick - B5490

Butterick - B5029

Butterick - B4443

While I like the yellow version, I'm actually leaning toward the white version sleeveless with the black sash and trim.

I just don't know which one I want to pick!

Last Friday and Saturday I went with my mom and a couple of her friends to do a quilt shop shop-hop. I had no intentions of buying anything but of course I did.

Cheri, Mary, My Mom & me...wearing my Coffee with Cream Jacket (again)

At the Quilted Vine in Santa Rosa, I fell in love with this quilt that was hanging in the store.

So of course, I bought the fabric to replicate it myself.

And I got the pattern too.

I fell in love with this fabric at Queen B's Quilt Shop in Antioch...

I found this pattern to go with it.

At Cornerstone Quilt Shoppe in Fairfield I found the cutest zoo animal baby fabric. I just couldn't leave without it...

The shop had the flannel version made up in this pattern. I liked it but I don't like working with flannel so I got the plain cotton version. I don't need a baby quilt right now but by the time that I get this made up, someone I know will be needing a new baby quilt...maybe me.

Guess I better get to sewing.

Things at the dropped stitch household have been a bit Topsy turvey lately. My grandmother has been very ill lately and that means that I've been doing a lot of sitting and waiting. I'm not good at being patient unless I have something to do, reading, knitting, sewing...you get the idea. Last Christmas my mom had picked up my copy of Interweave Knits Winter 2009 and was flipping through it when she saw the Nora's Sweater by Pamela Powers. She held up the magazine and yelled at me across the whole family talking and the TV blaring that this is what she wanted for Christmas. Since Hubbs and I have been traveling so much this year I seem to have lost my knitting mojo.

Due to my Grammies illness I've had to sit and wait so much I had to force myself to get my knitting mojo back. Last week when I went to go stay with my grandmother I grabbed my knitting bag and the yarn that I had already bought to make the Nora Sweater for my mom. I cast on and my knitting mojo came back with major force. I finished the back yesterday and am working on the center back inset piece.

The front

(picture from Interweave Knits)

The back with the Center Back Inset
(I love the pleating)

I chose Knitpicks Swish Worsted in Cobblestone Heather.

So far I'm loving this pattern. The back was pretty boring because it was mostly just stockinete stitch, pretty brainless. But it was really great because I was able to focus on what my grandmother was saying while my hands stayed busy. It was really nice because my grandmother knits too and we were able to talk about knitting among other things. She kept saying that I'm a better knitter then she is (which I heartily disagree) and that I'm faster then she is (that part is true but I'm 50 years younger then her). We all got a good laugh when I reminded her that for Christmas last year everyone in the family got a sweater for Christmas but me. I got a pattern and yarn. When I asked her what gives, she said, "You knitter better then I do. I'm not knitting for you anymore!" Sheesh! lol She's got spunk, that's for sure!

Thankfully my grandmother is doing better now then she was last week. I'm still working on the Nora Sweater, which I'm calling the Jules Sweater for my mom. I'm hoping to finish it before Christmas. I'm still being pulled by the sewing too. Most nights it's a hard decision when I'm trying to decide what to do. I have a couple of things in the works right now and I'm sure that they will be done soon. Hopefully pictures to follow on those. Until then, I'll just keep trying to get things done and pray that my grandmother continues to get better.

Finished! A while back I cut out and sewed part of this shirt. It's Simplicity pattern 2892. Friday I finally finished it. I needed to do some hand work on it. I needed to stitch the yoke lining to the inside. I'm not sure it looks exactly like the picture on the pattern but I think it was mostly because I had some trouble with the gathering on the yoke.

I used a swiss dot fabric. It's really light and comfortable. I think I would make this again but I would like one in a jersey fabric.

I give up. I will no longer be forcing myself to read books that just don't grab me anymore. I felt so guilty (and still do) about giving up on reading Ulysses but what's the point of reading a book you just can't stand? So no more! If it doesn't grab me in the first 100 pages or so, I'm returning it to the library from where hence it came.

Case in point, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. U.G.H. Ugh. I just don't like it at all. Frankly the imagery of Colonel Brandon is disturbing. He's got tentacles like an octopus on his face and has slime and makes a mucusy sound when he breathes. It really turns my stomach. So I'm going to return it to the library where there is a waiting list. It took me two months to be able to get this book. I'm sure that there is some other soul that will love reading this but it's honestly not for me.

Instead I'm going to start Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It's been on the best seller list so I'm hoping that it will be a good book. I'm the type of person that usually loves the movies that the critics hate so I'm hoping that since everyone seems to love this book, that I won't have the opposite reaction. Only one way to find out.

I finished One Second After by William Forstchen last night. I think out of all the post apocalyptic books that I've been reading lately, this one has the most realistic portrayal of what will happen to this country if we're ever hit by a EMP. Gave me a lot to think about. Makes me wonder if I should be reading these types of books. Scary what could happen when our world just stops and we have to revert to living like they did 150 or so years ago without all the technology.

I haven't done any additional sewing or knitting of any kind since I finished my top on Monday. I wore the new grey linen skirt to work yesterday and really loved it. It was very comfortable but as linen does, it wrinkled a lot. But I love the skirt. I love the way it moved when I walked and how comfortable it was when I was sitting. I was worried about what top to wear with it but I ended up picking up a new v-neck t-shirt from Target the other night and it looked really cute with the skirt. Plus the t-shirt was only $8! Love that!

I did, however, order a bunch of fabric from DenverFabrics.com on Saturday. I ordered enough fabric for two shirts, a dress, a jacket and slacks. I think my wardrobe will be expanding a lot with me sewing clothes. I can't wait for it to get here. I feel like that lady in the old Mervyns ad's, "Open, open, open." But it's more like, "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" with me. I just need to keep reminding myself that good things come to those who wait.

My sewing problem is reaching monumental proportions. I can't help myself! I want to sew constantly. I'm really enjoying it and it's so nice to be able to make my clothes for a fraction of the cost.

Saturday night I cut out the pattern at the right. It's a New Look, number 6913.

The top turned out really good but way too long. I'm going to have to go back and shorten it by quiet a bit. The picture on the pattern, the model's shirt is the right length. Mine is so long that it completely covers my butt. I'm thinking that if I take a couple inches off the bottem and then hem it up, it should be fine.

The shoulders actually came out perfect. I tend to get push at this point and want to get the prject done and rush it. But I really took my time and got it right.

What's up next? I don't know. Might try to get some knitting done that's been on the back burner for a while Maybe finish up my Thermal.

The weather here has been really icky the last couple of days. The wind is blowing like crazy and that makes me want to stay inside and avoid going out at all. The wind gives me terrible headaches, I assume it's all the pollen that gets kicked up. So instead of going out, I stayed in the last two days and sewed.

I finally finished the skirt that I cut out at the same time as the white top that I finished last week. I used Simplicity Pattern 2451 in size 12. I chose a light gray linen and black buttons.

I love the button and tab detail. The skirt is a little tight but since I'm working on losing some weight it should fit just right when I'm done. I don't normally wear shirts that have to be tucked in but in order to show of the detail on this skirt I might have to make one.

Since the weather is shitty again today, I stayed in a sewed again. Yesterday, after Hubbs got home, we ran out to run some errands and he dropped me off at Joann's so I could browse. I picked out 4 patterns and enough fabric to make two tops. I finished one of the tops, a really cute some type top. The pattern is New Look 6965.

On the Mannequin.

On me. I need to make some little straps that will hold my bra straps under the straps.

I love the back detail. I chose a vintage button that I already had. For once I actually got the button hole to come out correctly.

That's it for my sewing for today. Now I'm off to get some dinner and maybe go to bed early. Happy Saturday!

Yes please!

Made a Little Top. As you may (or may not) remember a couple of weeks ago I planned to spend a whole day sewing. I had three patterns and some fabric. I spent most of that day cutting out all three patterns and I started sewing one of the tops but got frustrated and never finished it. Yesterday in between loads of laundry I sat down and worked on this top.

Surprisingly, I actually finished it! I had a few set backs and a few problems but I actually got it done.

The Front.

The back.

Pattern is New Look 6570. It was pretty easy and the pattern was easy to follow. I still have a skirt that is already cut out and ready to sew. I still have the other shirt partly finished. I think I need to go back and rip out and re-do. Actually I think I'm going to go grab it and work on ripping it out tonight.

After a horrific day at work I stopped by Joanns to do some pattern shopping. Shopping fixes almost everything. Simplicity patterns are in sale for $1.99. I really wanted top patterns and I had an idea of what I wanted. I picked out a couple of really cute things.

I picked out fabric for the two top patterns and for the skirt pattern. I didn't really find any fabric for the fourth pattern. I really like the pants, top and jacket on that pattern more then the dress. Originally I loved the pattern for the dress but I think I'd wear the pants and top combo more then the dress. I like dresses but I prefer either pants and tops or skirts and tops. Not sure why but not having anything tight around my waist makes me uncomfortable.

I love this fabric. It's really light weight cotton swiss dot. I really wanted something that was solid white but I love this print. They had several swiss dot prints but this was the only one that there was enough yardage for the top.

I chose this embroidered white cotton for this top. I'm doing the cap sleeve version of the top. I don't' really like three quarter sleeves that much, plus this is a summer top and I want to have nice tan arms.

This one is a nice weight linen. I don't know why the picture is turned like that but I couldn't get it to change the other way!!! Sorry. But it should make nice cute skirt that I can wear to work or on the weekend.

I'm planning to spend all day tomorrow sewing at home. Hubbs is planning to go off for the day with a bunch of guys and do a boys day. I already got my fabric washed and ironed so I'm ready to hit the ground running tomorrow. I might even go down and do some cutting tonight.